My parents bought this book for my two year old. Not only is it attention-getting with big bug eyes on every page, but the story is delightfully clever, interesting & educational. The back of the book even has a two page "encyclopedia" with pictures and descriptions of all the sea creatures introduced in the book. This is the first children's book that has kept my attention and interest as long as my son's. I highly recommend this book.

I have four kids ranging in age from 8 1/2 years old to 2 1/2 years old. All of them LOVE this book. The huge eyes are what captivated all of us in the beginning but the story and illustrations were fun with an easy moral included. I can't wait to find more titles in the Boniface series.

I bought this book for my 15 month old granddaughter while we were on vacation in Arizona. She is 20 months old now and can recognize all the characters. The story is adorable and the illustrations are sublime. She loves the colors and the expressions on the creatures faces.....especially Sharky. I have to read it every night to her and she is always as attentive as the first time. The bulging, wiggly eyes make the book a wonderful picture book for a baby and the prose is delightful.

The novel is an interesting story about a man's experiences in the financial industry and his struggles with himself given the ethics of that industry. The author does an excellent job of explaining basic financial concepts so that the reader gets an education in that world, and this makes the book more interesting.

This book has it all--terrific locations, love, sex, and greed, with a main character--Nick Larson--that you just have to root for as he struggles with right and wrong. The author hits the nail on the head with the backroom shenanigans of the financial market. He clearly knows the ins and outs of the financial world. The story portrayed could easily be tomorrow's headline.

max isaacman did a great job describing the pump and dump of a houston oil stock--he also showsthe very human side of a stockbroker who is searching to do good--he is lonely but has to make a living--a onetime big producer -sucessfull broker but when his wife dies --things begin happening to hime--a very human story--a fast exciting read that you can not put down--mr isaacman is the louie lamore for stock traders and investors--

This version of Desiderata is one of the most magnificent and inspirational books I have seen! Marc Tauss' photographs add beauty and completion to this Max Ehrmann work. It is a perfect gift, especially for a graduate. It would make an excellent addition to anyone's library.

Desiderata, Words for Life by Max Ehrmann with photographs by Marc Tauss is gorgeous. It is filled with thought provoking words and dreamy, lush photos. Desiderata is beautifully designed with lovely, richly toned photos and simple, elegant typography. Desiderata offers quite a mental escape for one during rough times. It's a perfect book for many different occasions: graduations, birthdays, promotions, etc. I highly recommend it for people of all ages.

This new edition of Desiderata blows the previous versions away.One of the most beautiful books out there!Who wouldn't be inspired by the thought provoking words written by Max Ehrmann and the equally provoking photographs by Marc Tauss that accompany them so well.
You'll want to by one for that perfect gift that fits every occasion and age and buy one for yourself.
It's a book you should look at and read everyday to inspire you especially in these emotional times.Some of the images just take your breath away.

Max Lucato's and other wise christian devotionals and insights make the word of God come alive for you today. Full of compassion, grace, prayers, and truth. Very readable. For every level of intellect and knowledge of the bible or God. It feeds my soul.

This is an excellent book to read and study from to understand the world's creator and mans redeemer. It states that He is coming again and we can chose to live with Him forever.

This is the first Bible that I have been able to read and understand. The summaries and stories at the edge of the pages really help to clarify what is being said and apply it to real life. As an 18 year old student, this Bible has helped me to understand, apply, and live the Word of God. Thanks Max!

I really love my Max Lucado Inspirational NKJV Study Bible. It's a wonderful study bible with many sidebars of life lessons of Lucado's teaching guides. This the only one I use because it helps me to have a better understanding of the Scriptures. Each Book of the Old and New Testaments are laid out in an instruction manual style. All chapters are boldly titled to explain the situation for each one. The Life Lessons examines more closely the situation, makes observations, gives inspiration, makes application and gives further explorations of other scriptures throughout the Bible. It's chalkful of footnotes of many reliable references. Throughout this study gem are more inspirational ancedotes from Grace, Forgiveness, Suffering and Victory to God's Love, Hope, Prayer and Faith. And many more worthwhile inspirations that will bless your life. Even more, it has one hundred greatest thoughts, an index to selected readings, a dictionary with topical concordance, acknowledgments from many great references from the most notable names in Christianity. There's even a place in the back to add your own notes. I'm sure this is the only study bible you'll ever use. I find it to be the most comprehensive, enriching masterpiece of the Holy Bible yet. I would definitely give this as a nice gift.

I found this to be an excellent study tool. Max Lucado does not give a commentary on the verses. Instead he gives a life application lesson with the scriptures and a devotional thought. XCELLENT!!!!!

I love the Inspirational Study Bible, mine is NKJV. It has truly opened the word up to me as never before. I love reading and studying from it. It helps me understand a lot more of what was going on at the times the books were written. Mostly it helps me apply the Word to my own life. It has spoiled me, I have hunted several times for it in leather bound, I sure wish they would make it. I would get 1 for every member of my family.
Mary A.

one of the best book I have read.
You do not have to agree or disagree with Mr. Mussolini to enjoy this book. Because you can learn a lot about the will power, the determination, and the courage of the man.

I bought this book on the belief that it would explain to me the very essence of Italian Fascism. Although some important themes and ideas of Mussolini's fascism were discussed, I was disappointed with the lack of detail and expansion. However, I was enthralled by Mussolini's elegant writing style.I found the Duce's view of his own history - however biased - very informing. It gives an intimate view of early 20th century Italy,and in particular, the mood of the Italian people(especially the war veterans). The book's two parts, the first written well before the Second World War and the second during the war, offer a stark comparison of the different outlooks on the world that Mussolini possessed - he was once popular and arrogant, then hated and bitter. The book offers an extraordinary opportunity to take a deep and intimate look inside Mussolini's soul, as well as a thorough - however biased - examination of Fascist Italy. A must for anyone interested in the Duce, Fascism's general themes or World War II in general.

MY RISE AND FALL is actually two books written twenty years apart. MY RISE is an autobiography written in l928 when Mussolini was extremely popular. The introduction by United States ambassador Richard Washurn Child is laudatory, in fact, a hagiography that represents the conservative opinion of that day. To modern readers this view seems a bit grotesque but was widely held by many important people such as Churchill. Mussolini was admired, feared, and universally believed to have been a renaissance genius-exactly the image the dictator carefully crafted through the years of glory. He preened, strutted, intimidated and philosophied on the world stage until he met Hitler and was reduced to a pathetic secondary role as comic 'side-kick'. We now know the tragedy Mussolini inflicted upon his nation, but one can understand his seductive genius by reading him Mussolini, unlike Hitler, could write-and write well. His terse masculine prose ripples across the page reenforcing the image of a hard modern Caesar. Pithy epigrams such as: "throttled by the skinny hand of poverty "(p.86); descriptive images: "ferrets were sent out to smell into my life"(p.95); dramatic scenes like when Zaniboni attempted to kill him: "The bullets pass, Mussolini remains" (p.237);challenging appeals: "If I go forward, follow me; If I recoil, kill me; If I die, revenge me!" (p.238); as well as softer images "the authority of the state was a kitten handled to death". Il Duce was also a great actor who lived his various roles with such zest he believed them himself. Observe Mussolini: fighting a duel with broadswords, skiing bare-chested down the alps, flying an airplane, driving his red sports car with his beautiful mistress Claretta Pettaci, taking his horse over incredibly high hurdles, or playing with a lion. These images combined with the world stateman brokering the Munich Conference-he was the only one there that knew French, German and English-or negotiating the Concordant with the Vatican;along with the family man accompanied by Dona Rachele and his five handsome children made him the idol of his nation. He had restored respect to his nation. Or did he? One can well understand how intellectuals at first flocked to his banner, Nobel prize winners such as Luigi Pirandello, Guglielmo Marconi, and Enrico Fermi were members of his Academy; Giovanni Gentile, his minister of education; Conductor Arturo Toscanni a Fascist candidate; Curzio Malaparte a war correspondent; and even philosopher Bennedetto Croce, a bitter opponent, supported the Ethiopian War. True, many later deserted, Toscanni and Fermi to the United States, but many remained. THE FALL OF MUSSOLINI reveals the true man behind the myth. Actually, Mussolini only writes of a period of twenty-four hours, the day he was dismissed from the government, The bulk of the fall was written by Max Asoli, a critic of the man and his movement. In this section the curtain is stripped away revealing a timid little fellow manuvering a complex illusion-pyrotechnics that could not harm any one. The real Duce was a humbug-with ulcers... The really strong people in his life were his women: Clara Pettaci, Edda Ciano and most of all, Dona Rachele... Mussolini was more Napoleon III than Hitler, in fact Hitler was his nemesis, and Mussolini knew it! Il Duce first thought the Fuhrer was a degenerate but like a hypnotized rabbit would not flee in horror from the viper. The result was Mussolini's degregation and the negative verdict of history.

If you are a newbie to 3ds max then this would be a good book for you. I am on chapter 7 of this book and am finding a small fraction of difficulty. This book doesn't get into as much detail as I would have preferred it to. One thing I didn't like was making this robot model. All it really is, is spheres and cylinders. But I guess it's just a newbie book. So let me just say that its not the best book in the world for max 4. Seriously my friends, if you want to start 3ds max 4, there are better books out there than this one. Overall, this book is an alright book to get a novice modeler up and going.

One aspect of the book is that it is easy to read. Samples, examples explanations. Definately worth reading.

I have read many a 3DS MAX book. -- Well I have tried to read many that is. -- Believe me I have tried off and on for a year or so now. --- This book *truly* is a beginners book that will start you off on the ground level and have you doing things very quickly that are fun. -- I learned more with 3 hours and this book in front of MAX than I had in 3 weeks prior just because this book has a good focus.

Everyone gives everything 5 stars... and I try not to... but then again... I usually only feel inclined to rate things I trully feel derserve high praise. -- This is one of those things.

This book is ideal for those needing an injection of inspiration and fortitude. It really touched my spirit. If you like this book, I also recommend, Peace Be Still: Inner Healing for Racial Harmony.

I have read this book many times already. It is such an encouragement to read. The bible verses and Max's insight combine wonderfully together. It small enough to be carried around whenever you need a pick me up through out the day

I use the book daily. I select one theme per week, and then read the same section each morning and evening, making the circle complete. The best daily devotional aide on the market

This book is part of the Collectors Press series that include "The Great American Paperback" and individual volumes on fantasy, horror and science fiction. Essentially, this is a collection of book covers, movie posters, and other visual representations of crime and mystery media from the 1800's to today. "The History of Mystery" is a visual treasure for anyone interested in the genre, and Max Allan Collins' text provides a nice overview of crime and mystery authors and publishing. The only drawback is the same as in all of the Collectors Press books in this series: in many cases the images slightly overlap, with one cutting off a portion of the other. It's not bad enough to ruin the pleasure of the book, but allowing each image to be seen without obstruction would have been a better choice. Highly recommended.

My wife was working as a buyer for a bookstore when she noticed this title in a catalog and knew it was something special I would instantly be drawn to. As a late Valentine, it was perfect, and I must say I am quite pleased with the almost museum-like quality and presentation of this book. From the first ever real American P.I. to modern films, quirky heroes, and comic books, Max Collins manages to cover every base of the detective mystery genre. The historical bits are not boring at all, but often amusing as is the fantastic selection of cover art from pulp magazines through trading cards and television promo art. A slightly tongue-in cheek tribute to a slightly tongue-in cheek style of writing by one of mystery's biggest fans and best contributers, well worth every penny!

Even more lavish is Max Allan Collins' History Of Mystery, which combines an appreciation for pulp detective fiction art covers to insights on the mystery writing genre's many visions; from its pulp fiction to comic books and fiction writings. Fans of either mystery writing or pulp fiction art will relish this lavish display with its color reproductions of covers.

This book fills in a nice gap of WWII history in that it covers the initial battles that followed immediately after D-Day. Max Hastings does an excellent job of trying to figure out why certain parts of the Allied plan went so well, while others seemed to take forever. Additionally, he interviewed numerous Germans involved with the Normandy command in order to give perspective on what the German Army was experiencing and how this affected the outcome of certain battles.

I really enjoyed the new material and research that Hastings reveals as he tells the tale following D-Day. His treatment of the US Army is pretty balanced (some units fought well, while other "green units" had a tough time fighting the Germans), and I think he draws some interesting conclusions. His point that American Paratroopers and Ranger units were essential to the success of many battles highlights the success (and misuse at times) of these units.

Hastings goes into great detail about why the British/Canadian army struggled so much to take Caen. He has some critical words about Montgomery performance (he promised much, but deliverd little), but concludes overall that the British had a much more difficult fight against a stronger part of the German defense. I really enjoyed this section of the book because I have not read much about this part of the battle.

Hastings does talk at length about the mistake of letting the German Army escape at Falaise, although he concludes that the US Army would not have been able to close the gap with the units available. I do not totally agree with this conclusion, but it makes for interesting discussion.

I recommend this book for anyone interested in the ETO, especially Operation Overlord. If you are looking for a book specifically about D-Day, this is not the best one, in that it covers all of Operation Overlord, not just the invasion.

Max Hastings has with this book produced yet another masterpiece. Having read Carlo D'Este's brilliant "Decision in Normandy," I had doubts that anyone could do it better - but Hastings certainly has.
For several years, authors writing about the campaign have had a tendency to repeat comfortable half-truths and myths, and have conveniently forgotten all the problems that dogged the Allied advance. Much space has been devoted to the terrible bocage and to Montgomery's mistakes, but little to the fact that many of the Allied troops - American as well as British - fought poorly and were in the end regarded as unreliable by their own commanders.
Personally, I found it refreshing that the problems the Americans had were finally analized thoroughly. Irritatingly, the British have been blamed for just about everything that went wrong in the campaign, while the American failures(which were just as numerous as the British) have been "forgotten." That is what makes this book so refreshing! Hastings describes the lacklustre performance of numerous American units in great detail, and points out that the airborne divisions had to be kept longer in battle than what was originally intended because other American units fought poorly. At the same time, he describes the similar British problems with brutal honesty.

In the end, one gets a far better understanding of this battle. It becomes clear that the British attacks on Caen was the key to the battle, and that the reason that it took them so long to take it was that the Germans concentrated the bulk of their armour to stop them - leaving the unexperienced Americans a better chance to succeed. It also becomes clear that the Germans fought exceptionally well, and that their superiority over the Allied soldiers time after time frustrated the great plans of the Allied commanders. And above all, it becomes clear that Montgomery - that master of warfare - had to fight with his hands tied because of the lack of British replacements.

In all, a brilliant book from a brilliant author, and one which I will recommend to anyone interested in learning about this legendary campaign.

When I read history, I want to know both sides of the story. Reading one viewpoint is usually more about propaganda and less about history. Max Hastings satisfies this requirement. When digging into the facts of both the Western Allies (Americans, British, Canadians, Poles, and French) and the Germans and their less enthusiastic allies, Hastings describes bravery and honor on both sides. In addition, you get the warts that many historians gloss over (British reluctance to even embark on a mainland invasion, fairly equal amounts of shootings of POWs by both sides, and others). Most interesting is his indepth look at the contentious relationship between Montgomery and the Americans. Hastings points out that despite lackluster elan demonstrated by British and Canadian forces, it is true that Montgomery (and the USAAF) facilitated the final breakout of American forces (Cobra) by holding down the cream of German forces in Normandy, namely the Waffen-SS Panzer Corps, especially the very aggressive 12th SS Hitler Jugend (Youth) division. Hastings points out that with the exception of scattered German Parachute troops, American forces were tied down by mostly underequipped units made up of old survivors recovered from wounds on the eastern front, so-called volunteers from territories annexed by the Germans on the eastern front, and late-war scrapings of German manpower. Only later in the Normandy campaign did the Americans face some first-rate units, namely 2nd Waffen-SS "Das Reich", whose impact was weakened by constant losses from Allied fighter-bombers before reaching the scene of battle and whose battle-plans were intercepted by Ultra and thus lost the element of surprise (Mortain offensive). Hastings also makes a very interesting point, which does more to praise the U.S. airborne troops recently portrayed in HBO's excellent "Band of Brothers" series. These paratroopers were supposed to be sent back to England once the Allied foothold on the Continent was secured, but because of poor performance by regular infantry divisions, these paratroopers were forced to take the lead again and again in order to make headway against stubborn German resistance. The invaluable contributions made by American Airborne and Rangers and British Commandos should lay to rest the criticisms made by the regular Army leaders that special forces were a drain on top-notch manpower that should have gone to regular units. Though one could argue that these men could have raised the fighting proficiency of regular infantry units, the esprit de corps generated in elite combat units would still be absent. All in all, one gets the impression that Allied victory in Normandy was inevitable given the total Allied superiority in resources (especially air and naval power), but enough unknowns were still in play to make the outcome interesting. One thing is certain, Hitler's manic micromanagement of German strategy certainly was more of a benefit to the Allied cause than anything the Allied General's planned themselves (with the exception of the entire misdirection campaign aimed at confusing the Germans as to the actual location of the invasion), especially following the bomb plot which almost took Hitler's life. German Generals who knew what to do to save their armies were left powerless to watch Hitler destroy them in his own stupid strategies. I believe it humbling to admit that Allied victory in Normandy had more to do with the failings of the Nazi power structure than any magnificent feat of arms displayed on the battlefield, though the Americans certainly demonstrated more willingness to accept losses and risks than their British & Canadian counterparts.