usefull one act plays. i'm using one to direct in our schools collection of one act plays.

Anyone inteested in contemporary theater should pick up this book, either to put on the short plays or simply to read. The EST Marathon has become an important showcase of the best contemporary playwrights working in the U.S., and this latest installment in their series demonstrates the medium's vitality and the theater's commitment to it. Everyone will have their own favorites. There are better known people like Frank D. Gilroy, who is represented here by "The Golf Ball." There are also people like Bill Bozzone, who is truly one of the best writers exploring male and working class themes today. His play, "War," is alarmingly funny, haunting, and shocking -- typical of his best work. A must for anyone interested in contemporary theater.

Although the book has lots of good information, like any first editions, this has some glitches and errors about river information. Some features like dams, diversions and rapids don't exist where they are depicted yet some features are more hazardous that indicated. Use caution and don't accept at face value. It should be verified through some other source before depending on it. (Fish & Game, canoe dealers, local paddlers, other guide books, etc.) Originally published in 1993, some of the information is now dated. The author has provided a great quantity of useful facts for floaters and fishermen and the appendices are also chockful of valuable information. I think the out-of-state visitor will find a lot of this especially helpful.

Hydrographs are always interesting and a worthwhile addition to any river guide. However, Mr. Thompson, for some reason, used just 1991 flows for many of the rivers. This has skewed the information because, in some areas of the state, 1991 was an exceptionally good snowpack year and produces a hydrograph much higher than an average would be.

His overuse of quotation marks to deliniate the river miles is quite disconcerting. The glossary, called "River Talk", has included some definitions a paddler would probably never use but other, important terms have been omitted.

To summarize--this book does have helpful info but do use caution because there are errors.

I have really enjoyed this book. It has plenty of information, much of which is on history, river features and species of fish that will not be outdated for decades. The practical knowledge and safety tips are worth the price of the book. I used this book to prepare for my last three floats and even enjoy reading about the areas of Montana (and facilities/campgrounds) that I travel through by car.

I grabbed this dog-eared copy of I, Zombie from [local store].

The cover bears little resemblance to what actually transpires within the pages... but that is nothing new in Science Fiction.

Need a new premise? OK, try this... zombies are real, in a sense. At this future time, technology has progressed to the point where a recently deceased individual can have his/her body reanimated with an electronic "pack" replacing consciousness, if not the actual brain itself. Zombies are inexpensive labor, controlled by a trained individual who makes use of various levels of technology to do so.

This works just fine... so long as morals are lax, and so long as the subject of reanimation is actually dead when she is processed. Unfortunately, one individual, ugly, brain-deficient, but very much alive is declared dead and has a pack implanted before it is discovered that the cold water she apparently drowned in kept her alive longer than was known. Waking up with an electronic widget tied into her brain, she finds that she is immensely strong and considerably more intelligent than she had previously been. She also has various complexes... either natural or artificial... in place that prevent her from actually telling anyone she is alive.

The attempts to rectify that little state of affairs begins fairly early in the story.

It is a rather heart-wrenching story with a happy, yet tragic ending that is quite surprising... though the author did not quite play fair in providing the surprise at the end.

The story ends with a distinct possibility of a sequel... one which apparently never materialized, unfortunately. The book is out of print, but can still be found at prices ranging from two to six dollars. In my opinion, a bargain at any available price. Finding one may present some problems.... and no, I won't sell you mine, but it is worth the effort.

Dale A. Raby
Editor/Publisher
The Green Bay Web
[URL]

Truely life among the working stiffs, slap a generator pack on a dead person and put them to work...just make sure they are 100% dead first. Otherwise results are not guarenteed. Scenes that will make you laugh years later just thinking about them. This book is on my science fiction sampler list.

This book was a great source of information. It was short and to the point. I did not feel like I was waisting my time on detail that weren't of interest to me. A great reference tool.

as an orthomolecular- nutritionist,i must recommand this book, because of only one reason- it is work!, and i see it with my patients.a very organised and scientific book that explains the mental illnesses in the orthomolecular-way, and is very easy to understand and to follow. this is the real orthomolecular therapy for mental illness. buy this book today.

I really enjoyed "Drive To Survive", because it is apparent from word-one that author Curt Rich knows what he is talking about. As a former SCCA National Rally winner and combat shooting veteran, he presents decades of real-world driving experience in direct language that is both engaging and funny.

Rich covers everything from mirror positions (betcha don't know the right answer to this one) to everyday commuting strategies that will help you avoid being an accident victim--both unintentional accidents and staged, intentional accidents that are a pretext for insurance scams or worse (car jackings).

I have attended driving schools and this book, DTS, is far more realistic in conveying information that "connects" with drivers of ALL ages--from 15 to 80. If you're smart enough to own ANY of the following--a fire extinguisher, smoke detector, radon gas detector, alarm system, self-defense firearm, etc.--you can profit from what's in this book to have a safer, more secure environment EVERY SINGLE DAY.

Be forewarned--you might as well buy multiple copies because you'll want to have extras to pass out to anyone you care about. I'm getting 15 copies to give as gifts to my family and friends.

As that cajun cook says, "I GARE-RON-TEE you won't be disappointed."

PND

Each one of America's 170 million licensed drivers should be required to read Curt Rich's "Drive To Survive!" It is today's real-world manual for safe driving in the 21st Century. Practical, informative and, yes, fun to read, Rich's book shows you how not to become a fatal highway statistic. Way beyond the dull drudgery of the typical driver's-training text, "Drive To Survive" gives any motorists who reads it, the knowledge, skill and confidence to drive with improved safety. "Drive To Survive" is The Future for saving more lives behind the wheel and for bringing back the joy of driving to the American road.

This book is must reading for all teenage drivers. Mr. Rich effectively outlines the dangers, and the techniques to avoid these dangers in a fast-paced, easy to read (especially for teenage boys)instructional manual. His common sense directions, particularly the "color system" is invaluable. My 19 and 16 year old boys read the book and are utilizing it's principles. I sleep better at night.

I've read all the books on Solaris, and this one seems to be the best. Sun's own books (Winsor) pale in comparison. That said, I don't think this book is detailed enough. I wish it had more coverage on how Solaris runs for different versions and for different hardware. There is hardly any coverage of Solaris on x86, which would have been great, since there are no books on that topic available. You'll get a lot out of this book, but you'l also be wishing for more.

A very good book. Only a few typos, covers everything lightly and points you to where to learn more. If you buy a new or used Sun Sparc, this is a great way to become comfortable with it. The book is a little short on the WHY should you do something - like "Should a person with one Sparc set up NIS+?", but it's fun to read and useful to have.

This book is GREAT for Solaris Sparc AND x86! The reader below must be on something to only rate it two stars. The book DOESN'T EXPLAIN what makes OpenWindows work (notice the title: Managers and Administrators), but the book uses the CDE environment from front to back!! IT'S AWESOME!! How can you NOT love this book?

I just bought Solaris 7 for $9.95 (comes with x86 and Sparc versions) from Sun's web site and needed something to teach me. I have absolutely no experience with Solaris (better now than never!). This book has been totally awesome in explaining everything I need to know to plan, install, and manage/administrate the Solaris environment. I just finished my MCSE and want to certify in Solaris. I was a die-hard Microsoft NT person for a looooooooong time, but I'm now realizing the world of Unix and Solaris and what (superior) strengths it has over NT. This book will sit on my desk for many years to come..

Although the book says Solaris 2.x, it was written at the time 2.6 was released. The new Solaris 7 (which is really 2.7) still works perfect with this book - unlike Microsoft who changes their OS so often and makes you buy tons of new books all the time!

Another reader below rated this book good, but also said the information is a little dated. If you are new to Solaris (like me) then you won't even know the difference. If you are coming from the world of NT (and used to spending tons of money on books every week) then you won't know the difference!

My final analysis, BUY THIS BOOK! IT IS A SURE WINNER!

This is a great book! It's very easy to read and very informative. I was able to use the information to pass the exam on the first try. The authors should have done a better job mapping the end-of-chapter questions to the actual test, but that shouldn't keep anyone from using this book to pass the Exchange 5.5 exam. Especially with Exchange 2000 on the horizon, this is an especially important test. I recommend this book and these authors highly!

I just finished reading MCSE Exchange Server 5.5 for Dummies. Of all books I have read on Exchange Server 5.5, I have found this the most readable book out there. And it contains quite a bit of critical information that helped me pass the MCSE exam on the first try! I agree that the end-of-chapter questions are not like the ones on the exam, but the material in the book is so great that you can still pass the exam easily with only this book to help you. I highly recommend it to anyone thinking of taking this difficult exam. I only hope these authors write a book on Exchange 2000 after it is released. Well done, guys!

In preparation for my exam I used three books, the SAM's book, the Sybex book and the Dummies book. The undisputed best book among the three was Dummies. The practical information provided in this book is hard to come by in other study materials. This book goes beyond the requirements for the exam and teaches you how to use the product in every day situations. My thanks to the authors for providing a well written and insightful manuscript that helped me pass the Exchange exam with ease.

Those who have read Will's "Men at Work" already are aware of the author's knowledge of the game as well as his talent to put it into words. This is a compilation of the author's articles on Baseball that have appeared primarily in his newspaper columns over the years. Mr. Will, a spokesman for the political right, discards his politics for these excursions into his passion. Indeed, one is surprized by how often Mr. Will sides with the players in the labor/management diputes that litter modern Baseball. The author shares his nostalgia for the past and his appreciation of the heros of the present. If he seems a bit caught up in his Cubs and Orioles, he can be forgiven because the reader has his/her own favorites. We know the frustration and joy of the same loyalties he shares with us.

I read the first two thirds of the book one "column" at a time between other books. I did so because I had read "The Best of Jim Murray" some years ago and did so over the course of several days. By the mid-point of that book, I came to the realization that Mr. Murray had written the same column for decades. It was just a matter of changing the name of the subject. You don't catch on to that reading two or three columns a week. Well, I read the last third of the book in the course of several hours. I did not get the same reaction that I got to Murray's book. However, I lost track of the number of times the total season attendance of the 1935 St. Louis Browns (80,922) was compared to the Opening Day attendance of the 1993 Colorado Rockies (80,227). There were other such repetitions of facts and figures that were noticeable when the book is read cover to cover. I suggest you savor the articles and let the book entertain you throughout the course of a summer or a year. However you choose to read it, don't miss this intellectual appreciation of what was once known as "America's Pasttime".

In a non-Orwellian sense, Bunts is a homer. Will combines his great writing skills with his love and knowledge of the game in his second book about baseball. If you enjoyed his first, Men At Work, you will undoubtedly enjoy Bunts.

Bunts, Will's description of small but useful things, is a collection of eighty-one essays spanning the years 1974-1997. All fans, from the most casual to the most serious, will find something in it for them. The broad range of baseball topics includes: history, players, managers, owners, broadcasters, umpires, fans, economics, and techniques. Will also decribes his personal love affair with the game from his childhood and annual visits to Wrigley Field to his present affiliation with the Baltimore Orioles. Perhaps the most salient feature of this book about baseball is that it is written by one of its biggest fans and most serious students.

I heartily recommend this book.

Is there a better sport than baseball? I submit not. It is a sport that is as old as America (as the reader learns on page 272 of "Bunts"), and as much a part of the American experience as anything. "Bunts", a collection of George F. Will's columns about baseball over the last thirty years, is a marvelous look at baseball from the eyes of the die-hard Chicago Cubs fan. Though I care not for Will's conservative mindset, I appreciate his prose and enjoy some of his takes on baseball. Some of Will's contentions are controversial (the game is better today than ever before), some well-reasoned (the glories of 1950s baseball were not so glorious) and some out-dated (one column mocking the Braves and Yankees, baseball's worst teams according to Will, looks hopelessly out-dated since these two behemoths have won four of the last five World Series). But Will puts himself out in front and you must give him credit for speaking his mind.

Incidentally, the reviewer's particular favorite column is Will's 1991 look at baseball in the Windy City- "Chicago Baseball- 'Never A Lovely So Real'" (pages 171-180)

Baseball fans will enjoy.

I'm working as an assistant IT admin and recently got certified under Proxy (I was already MCSE/A+). I bought this book, as well as a few others, to educate myself on the product as well as prepare for the exam. I was disappointed with this book for two reasons. First, the book spends the first 100 pages or so (almost a third of the book) on things other than Proxy: TCP/IP, IIS, etc. While comprehension of these topics is an absolute necessity for installing, configuring and maintaining a proxy server, the author did not cover them in sufficient detail to make their inclusion worthwhile. When the author does get around to Proxy itself, he gives thin descriptions of the issues. Which leads to my second problem. The book isn't really appropriate for the NT novice, but then again, it's not meaty enough for someone who's not. Most of the needed topics are covered, but only just. Much more could have been said about client installation, performance monitoring and common errors associated with arrays and chains. The step-by-step instructions are well-written and there is a PDF version of the book on the CD that's included, but the end of chapter questions are even worse than most books. Also, don't let the lure of extra test questions on the CD fool you; you'd have to fork over an extra $100 to get enough of them to do you any good. Keep looking.

I am an MCSE+Internet, CIW, A+, Network+, and I-net+ professional.

I made an incredible score on this exam, and this book deserves all of the credit. It thoroughly covers every aspect of setup AND each and every aspect of administration. MOST OF ALL, it includes great screen shots and incredible labs.

The earlier version of the book included a large number of mistakes, according to the earlier reviews, but I only came across a small few in this version. He went WAY too much into IIS, but didn't cover Winsock administration any where near enough.

The beachfront quizzer is poor--very poor, so don't even bother installting it. BUT the PDF version of the book along with the evalution version of PROXY came in very handy.

This book is all that you need to certify yourself in proxy.

If I'm just studying to pass a test, I read a book through once, answer all the chapter questions, maybe pass up the labs for now, then either turn around and read it again and work the labs on my humble home network, or start reading through another similar guide first, and then going back and working with the product through the labs. Polish all that off with one of the readiness reviews for the last few days and the test is passed.

This time I needed to learn Proxy Server so I can better understand the live system I actually work with, and worry about the test later maybe. I've read through this book once already, and it is clear and understandable, very well written. In one read I've gleaned a lot of information for my day-to-day use, and know that the second pass through, working the labs live, will tighten up my understanding of this technology even more. Some technical books are so poorly written I can't finish them so I just move on to the next one, but this one is pretty well done, and suits my needs just fine.

There are a few little errors but they are obvious and not too distracting; a diagram reference # wrong or a silly misspelling like HEKY_LOCAL_MACHINE as the correct answer on one of the chapter assessment tests. I've seen much worse.

This book is a great learning tool for Proxy Server 2.0, whether to pass the MCSE test or to learn it for work. If I were going for the test, I'd not stop here; but just to use it for knowledge, review and reference, it's great.

It lists and covers all the certification requirements, and even gives a good cross reference of which chapters cover which test objective, as well as a convenient appendix containing all the collected Mini-Labs from each chapter. I haven't tried the BeachFront CD yet so I don't have an opinion, but the book itself is solid.

I recommend it.

Joe Buchberger

If you are, Curt Cloninger can help with Fresh Styles for Web Designers. I picked up this book hoping to get some ideas to snap me out of a bit of a rut. It worked. Not only did I find his descriptions of different styles, ideas and sites helpful, but the myriad of links in the book helped to fill my "design ideas" bookmarks folder with a ton of great sites.

Web design clients want commercial sites that aren't often very artistic. Knowing that, Cloninger showed off underground web sites that exist for purely artistic reasons and used them to demonstrate that artistic endeavors are not just a path to web-based expression but a palette for ideas that will end up as part of tomorrow's commercial site developments.

This revleation not only makes the book fun to read but practical as well. Nice job.

Fresh Styles is another beautifully designed book from New Riders. It is easy to flip through, fun to read, and generously illustrated in full color. Curt Cloninger presents a convincing case for abandoning the current trend toward cookie cutter web sites, and he provides plenty of examples for inspiration. He briefly examines the reasons for the development of these rules and regulations in web design and then points out the pitfalls of adhering too closely to any of them. Cloninger thoroughly explores 10 styles, giving several unique examples for each one, and going into it's purpose, history, and function. Yes, he gives his 10 "fresh style" silly names but it's all in good fun and it works for the purpose of the book.

I find this book extremely useful and it is one that I will keep out of a small selection of web reference books. This isn't a recipe book and although it does contain technical advice, there are few code samples. Cloninger isn't giving out style templates that the reader is meant to copy. On the contrary, his intention is to examine the various styles and give us some insight into how they developed, the reason they were used for that particular project, and what did and didn't work in their implementation. Using this approach, he succeeds in turning them into flexible templates that are a springboard for new ideas and "fresh styles" of your own.

It has been mentioned that some of the websites used in the book no longer exist or have changed dramatically. This is not a problem and does not detract from it's value or usefulness, since all of the necessary examples are printed in the book. It simply illustrates one of the author's major points, that the web is in a constant state of flux and transformation, and will remain in that state. There is no point in attempting to pin it down or render it safe, predictable, and homogenous. It is far more desirable to develop a set of skills and flexibility that will allow you to transform and develop along with your medium. Otherwise, it might just leave you behind. The author is successful in offering a balanced approach between usability and innovation.

FRESH STYLES FOR WEB DESIGNERS
Eye Candy From the Underground
Curt Cloninger
PUBLISHER: New Riders
REVIEWED BY: Barbara Rhoades

BOOK REVIEW: Fresh Styles is the book to add to your library when your brain has run out of new ideas or you are in a "brain-freeze" mode. It is written in print size that won't give you eyestrain to read it and plenty of color is used to enhance what you are reading.

Ten different styles are discussed from "Super Tiny SimCity" to "Paper Bag". Don't know what these terms mean? Chapters eight and five respectively will give you the low-down on these styles. The "off-the-wall" styles featured in Fresh Styles will get your creative juices flowing again and maybe even add a new style to your repertoire.

The back cover has a built-in bookmark lip and while there are only four pages for the Content section, there are 13 pages in the Index. This should provide you with a way to locate what you want to find in the book. Each chapter ends with a listing of web sites mentioned in that chapter, therefore providing online visualization of work.

If you have ever run into the "brain freeze" mode (and what designer hasn't?), then be sure to add Fresh Styles for Web Designers, Eye Candy From the Underground" to your library of reference material.