Being a writer myself, I probably tend to look at the books I read with more of an analytical eye than the average reader. I was quite impressed with Chi Kung Master, Luk Chun Bond's The First 16 Secrets Of Chi, Feng Shui for the Human Body, so much so that I would give it a 5 star rating. It contains a wealth of information and even includes a diet chapter, yet it is neither boring nor technical. The personal information on Master Bond is quite fascinating and his instructions on how the exercises are done are exceptionally clear and well illustrated as they are shown in the sitting position as well as standing so that even handicapped individuals can learn the exercises. It is well organized and even indexes specific ailments, telling which exercises target them.

Chi Kung is a very beneficial form of exercise for everyone, regardless of age or fitness level. It teaches proper breathing techniques, increases strength, and improves balance and flexibility.

Master Bond encourages everyone to do his or her best, moving only the pain-free range of motion. He explains the purpose of each exercise movement and how it promotes a healthy lifestyle. In his book, "The First 16 Secrets of Chi", Master Bond includes an extensive list of ailments and conditions, which exercises will be optimal for their healing, easy to follow instructions on how to perform them, and detailed illustrations of those exercises. During practice sessions he provides modifications for those who are incapable of performing the exercises that are being demonstrated.

Not only are there physical benefits to Chi Kung, but there are mental and emotional benefits as well. It helps to calm and focus your mind, it enhances your sense of well being, and the social atmosphere helps to develop close friendships. Even though classes may be as large as 100 participants, each person can still get personal attention and assistance.

I feel that Chi Kung has had such a positive effect on my life, that I can honestly say that I will continue practicing it for the rest of my life.

I joined Master Bond's Chi Kung class because of my chronic high blood pressure. I do my chi kung exercises every morning for an hour.
Last year, my 3 visits to my internist, pressure was 138/76, 128/76 & 132/78. My pressure is great now; thanks to chi kung.
There's a book "The First 16 Secrets of Chi" by Master Bond. This book has illustrations of Master Bond doing different exercises for different ailments.
There's also the Green Diet Section. In the green diet they say to eat more yin and nuetral food to balance the yang foods. There's a list of yin, yang and neutral foods.
I recommend this book to all. It's a must read book.
Janet

I first encountered Ariel through a friend who got it at a used book store. He picked it up at random and bought it for a buck fifty. He read it and loved it and then lent it to me. To quote another great fantasy book... "Who can know when their life is about to change? Who can sense revelation in the wind?" This book became my favorite. I read it earnestly and repeatedly until I had to give it back. The book was circulated among everyone in my circle of friends and we all aree it's one of the best fantasy books around. I had first read it in 1988 and could not find my own copy until another friend found three in various bookstores in Austin, TX in 1997. This book is well worth the time it takes to hunt it down. The story revolves around the life of a young man, Pete Garey, who's life takes place after the change, where the laws of physics have been altered to where technology no longer functions and magic is standard. Pete befriends a young unicorn and the two share adventure and love in a hard post-apocalyptic world. There are several well-written characters and Boyett breathes new and more realistic life into dragons, griffins and unicorns. This book is a must for fantasy gamers, readers and live-action role players (such as sca-ers and amtgarders).

I usually like to study a book when I first pick it up off of the book store shelf. I read the back first, ponder the cover art, then open to Page 1 and skim a few pages. In 1984, I found "Ariel" in my favorite bookstore, began my ritual, and ended up sitting on the floor for 1 hour, completely and utterly entranced. I was captivated by the very first sentence: "I was bathing in a lake when I saw the unicorn."

Mr. Boyett's imagination hits stratospheric heights in his storytelling. His words paint a portrait so vivid that I feel like I'm right there beside Pete, traipsing all the way up I-95 and swimming with the dolphins on the way to New York. My teenage bedroom became a fantasy haven in its honor, and a huge stuffed unicorn (named Ariel, of course) dominated my bed.

The stuffed unicorn is long gone, but I still have that copy of "Ariel," and it's now as delapidated as Pete's backpack - taped, wrinkled, tattered, and laminated. And I wouldn't trade it or get rid of it for anything. I get it out every now and then and re-immerse myself in it, just for old time's sake.

If you are lucky enough to get a copy of this book, count it amongst your finest treasures - for a treasure it certainly is. I'll never understand why it's out of print. This is one story that should be back on the shelves for other readers to sit with on the bookstore floors of the world.

"Ariel: A Book of the Change" was Boyett's first novel, and arguably his finest. You're hooked from the first page, and by the end of the first chapter you're in love. I first read "Ariel" when it was initially published, in 1986. Everyone I've ever loaned it to has had the same response: "What an AMAZING book! Do you have anything else like it?" -- and the answer is: no. There is NOTHING else like it. This is one of those rare books (the only such book I've ever read) that actually causes you to mourn at the end, because you must take your leave of characters that have become dear to you.

How I wish for a sequel.

It's definitely worth the effort to find a used copy of this book, and a shame that the publisher has not seen fit to re-issue it.

Leo Buscaglia is my new "best author" and for a good reason.His phylosophy on life-embracing love,learning and living-has changed my entire perspective on my life and the way I see myself and others.It is amazing to me how he focuses on the "small things" like hugs and smiles to brighten up ones life as opposed to the more complicated suggestions of others. I know his "teachings" work first hand,having experienced them at my work place where everone read the book.His advice created a little heaven for me at that time of my life and I still continue to live what I learned and "teach" it to others. My most valuable lesson was to learn to forgive my (and other's) imperfections.

What a wonderful teacher Mr. Buscaglia was! This book should be read by every human on earth -- maybe then we would all have more humanity and love and peace. Not to mention the fact that it teaches us to love ourselves because of who we are and he teaches us to learn about US and each other! WONDERFUL WONDERFUL WONDERFUL! GO HUG SOMEONE TODAY! Thank you for keeping this magnificent man's books in publish!

I have bought so many copies of this book! I have been reading it about once a year since 1981. Dr. Buscaglia is a wonderful man, and it is a book I will cherish through my entire lifetime. Everytime I go buy a new copy, I read it, and then pass it on to a friend. It is something I love to give out! I can not even tell you how many people have thanked ME for something so inspiring. I think it should be recommended for all teachers, and students.. and parents, and friends, and siblings, and your spouse.. you get my point! A terrific gem! :)

Like many people I once thought I knew everything I needed to know about grilling -- and how to do it. I own several grilling books, including Barbecue Bible by the author, and have had many successes. But until I got this book I never knew how great grilling could be. Things I have done and especially those I never thought of doing or attempting -- like a whole chicken or turkey or pineapple -- are explained in such great (and color!) detail that I am rethinking every possibility and doing it all better than before. There must be at least six photos or more for every technique -- and the details are helpful even when I am not following the recipes like skewering shrimp or chicken wings. The asparagus "rafts" were a real eye opener and have already saved dozens from a firey fate. Every time you grill you should check this book, not just to find a recipe but just to brush up or learn how to do anything on the grill. Thanks Steven!

Excellent reference book for the summer grilling season! Step by step instruction (including full color photos) on how to grill everything from asparagus to zucchini. Each chapter is divided into food groups; meat, fish, poultry, seafood and vegtables for easy reference. Even a chapter for grilled desserts! Many grilling tid-bits and secrets revealed here. Also included: getting started, care and maintaince for your grill, grill gear and many recipes.

I'm sure the seasoned "Grill Gladiator" will find nothing new in this book. But for the beginner (that would be me!!) it is full of useful information.

_____The book's greatest feature is its completeness. Raichlen covers all aspects of grilling:

1: Types of grills - Raichlen discusses the basics on gas grills, charcoal grills, hibachis, tuscan grills, smokers, you name it.

2: How to set everything up - I learned how to probperly light coals, clean and oil the grate, and test for proper temperature.

3: Recipes! - From steak to ribs to chicken, and even lobster and vegetables, Raichlen provides detailed instructions on how to cook just about anything on the grill. Plus, he even has quite a few recipes for rubs and sauces.

4: Everything else - Essential accessories, tips, and how to be a flamboyant griller can be found here.

_____In addition, the book is easy to read and logically outlined; you won't need to flip through trying to find specific information - you can find it easily once you know the layout.

_____I thought I was already an expert griller, but this book taught me A LOT of stuff, stuff that every griller should know. BUY IT!!

We have an inexpensive paperback version (see our reviews) of this classic poem, and we said that's enough for us. That was before we looked through this beautifully illustrated (by Bruce Whatley) edition of The Night Before Christmas.

The lyrics are the same, from book to book, but the fanciful illustrations in this one are enough to engage adults and children as they read this book together.

The perfect gift for any family whose Christmas tradition includes reading this classic!

I discovered this book 31 years ago, for my daughter and it is still loved by all the family. The illustrations are wonderful, warm, charming and delightful and bring a special meaning to the story. We still read it to all the young children on Christmas Eve and for adults we read the story and pass a grab bag gift every time the word THE is mentioned. It would not be Christmas without this book. It is magical.

This beautiful book was in my family as a hard cover edition for many years and was a Christmas Eve tradition for my four sons when they were growing up. It's poor battered body disappeared some time after the last of my little ones went off into the adult world. I am so delighted to see it back again, though this time as a nicely affordable soft cover. Clement C. Moore's enchanting story poem already provides an atmosphere filled with warmth and joyful expectation and with the addition of Tasha Tudor's quaint, nostalgic water-colors from an antique New England the Christmas magic is complete!
The winter landscapes fill our senses and Tasha's own gray tabby cat and Welsh Corgi welcome us into this charming world.
Tasha's Santa that you will meet in this book has been portrayed as the poem describes him...a right jolly old elf. He's not that much larger than the corgi and his team really consists of eight "tiny" reindeer. His pointy ears and his Eskimo mukluks add to the delightful ambiance of the book. He dances with the toys and with the happy animals and we can truly believe it will be a happy Christmas for all.
I hope this book becomes a Christmas Eve tradition for many, many more families.

This book, The Count of Monte Cristo, is an engrossing tale of loyalty, revenge, and obsession that can still teach lessons today. Edmond Dantes seems set for life: the young man is now the captain of a ship, his best friends are his father and his boss, Morrel, and he is set to be married to a beautiful girl named Mercedes. But two men, Danglars and Fernand, are jealous of him for different reasons (Danglars for his job, Fernand for his fiancee). This jealousy comes in the form of a conspiracy so that both will be benefited: a letter is written saying that Dantes is a Napoleonic agent (he is not). He is further crossed by the ambitious magistrate de Villefort, who destroys the only piece of evidence because it implicates his father and sends him to prison, using the Napoleonic phobia of the time. While there, he meets the brilliant yet enigmatic Abbe Faria, who teaches him several languages and they collaborate on how to escape. The Abbe has an attack, he tells Dantes to leave without him, so he does. But before the Abbe dies, he tells Dantes about the magnificent treasure of Monte Cristo, and then the adventure begins as Dantes gets the treasure and lives extravagantly for a while, then he comes to pay vengeance to his enemies and rewards to his friends. This book is quite long, but I could not imagine it being shorter: it is the perfect size for the story. This is one of the best books of all time for a reason, and I would highly recommend it to anybody interested in adventure.

The Count of Monte Cristo is the best book I've read in quite a long while. I wasn't expecting it to be. Frankly, I tend to have low expectations for 19th-century European novels in regard to sheer readability. Like vegetables and trips to the dentist, they tend to be more good for you than simply good. Add in the fact that the unabridged version is over 1000 pages, and I felt sure that the Count would be a somewhat difficult companion.

Nothing could be farther from the truth! Edmond Dantes' adventures kept me fully engrossed from beginning to end. I was disappointed to turn the final page, left longing for more.

If you've seen a movie version of Count of Monte Cristo, expect surprises. I had seen both the Richard Chamberlain and Jim Caviezel versions before reading the book (mmmm . . . Jim Caviezel), but neither were entirely true to the storyline or the mood of the original.

Edmond himself is a thoroughly satisfying and seductive hero. (The reader must take with a grain of salt the numerous references to his drug habit; at the time, opium was unfortunatly de rigeur for a Romantic hero.) The secondary characters are equally engrossing, from the admirable Maximilian Morrel to the villainous Danglars; and the ingenious machinations by which Edmond contrives to reward the deserving and doom the guilty make the chapters fly by.

I would encourage everyone to be sure and get the unabridged version of this masterpiece. It is by no means slow or ponderous, and the thought of what must be left on the cutting room floor to reduce this book to half its size makes me wince.

If you enjoy literature, then you must read The Count of Monte Cristo. In this book, a young sailor named Edmond Dantès is arrested on false charges of treason. He spends the next fourteen years in prison trying to figure out how to exact complete revenge on his enemies. Once he gets out of prison he begins his quest for vengeance. The author, Alexandre Dumas, portrays this struggle for vengeance by mixing action and serenity together. By using both, Dumas makes the character seem like a real person. Throughout the entire book I felt like I knew Edmond Dantès feelings. Dumas' writing style made Edmond Dantès come alive. Instead of being on the outside watching in, I felt like I was in the middle of all the action. By making the reader feel like a part of the book, Dumas gets the reader involved in the plot; this makes the reader not want to stop reading. The Count of Monte Cristo continually makes you think about the characters and the plot. As the reader, I observed a great battle of intellect between the main characters, and this strife makes the book enjoyable to read. You constantly wonder who will get the upper hand. This book, with its many levels, will make a reader lose him or her self in the book. I read the abridged edition, which sometimes made me feel like I had missed an important detail or event. Other than this small drawback, I enjoyed the book thoroughly. I recommend The Count of Monte Cristo to anyone who enjoys reading books with an entertaining story and believable plot.

It is both as simple and as magical as a child's uplifted face savoring a captured snowflake. In this collection of Christmas stories, the familiar and cherished tale is told and retold again and again a dozen times, but each telling freshly reveals the old, old story. Not once, but twelve times, with gentle humor and quiet wisdom, the author movingly, repeatedly invokes for us the miracle of the season. Experience Steve Burt's, A Christmas Dozen from the Christmas Story Pastor. Share these warm and thoughtful stories with family and friends. Read them aloud; make them your own. It will be the start of a new holiday tradition.

Perhaps the best collection of Christmas stories ever published in one book! Burt's easy-to-read (larger print), heart-warming stories are appealing to adults and children alike, capturing the essence of the season in twelve entirely different ways. Perfect for cuddling up with family near the fireplace, reading aloud in church services, or sharing to a group of senior listeners or children. You'll never run out of people to give this book to! If you're looking for the next "classic," this is it!

Warm and wonderful stories that require readers or listeners to carry tissues or a hanky. It's not surprising that the author who contributed the moving story "Unk's Fiddle" in Chicken Soup for the Single's Soul also penned these twelve lovely Christmas gifts. They are lovely when heard aloud at the author's numerous public readings around Connecticut, and they're great when read aloud by the pastor of any church wise enough to use this book as a resource for the Christmas candlelight service. Truly Christmas Soup for the Soul.

I've read it countless times and it grips me every time. And considering the fact that I actually saw the movie first, (which was awful) that's really saying something. I felt for Noelle. It explains why she is so cold and uncaring to men. You really get in her head. And Catherine is easy to like also. Creating empathy for two rival women is a tricky thing to do, and Sidney Sheldon delivers with a punch. He is one of the greatest novelists ever. Don't pass up this book. The part where Noelle helps her friend who is a leader of the French Resistance will keep you on edge. This book is a great ride. I can't praise it enough. I read it in spanish edition....

The Other Side of Midnight - Sidney Sheldon

A Review

Know this, reader, before you dare read this book: Once you start reading this book, your attention will be on it alone, and you will, without a doubt, be reading it to the exclusion of all other activities until it is finished. This general rule applies for all of Sidney Sheldon books, and with good reason.
The first Sheldon book I read, Rage of Angels, became my favourite single book of all time. At the time, I was a fantasy genre only fan, but as soon as I read it, I knew that fantasy would not be the only genre I would read. Well, that was only several months ago, and now I'm reading other books by Sidney Sheldon, and others such as Michael Crichton, Nora Roberts as J.D. Robb, Anne Rice, Janet Evanovich, and Iris Johansen. Since Sidney Sheldon was the first author that got me into all books non-fantasy, I highly respected him and his writing.
After reading Rage of Angels, I read four other Sidney Sheldon books. (His newer ones, none of his older ones!) They were all good, but none of them compared to, what I thought, was the best book of all time, Rage of Angels. Recently I purchased the Other Side of Midnight to discover what his other older novels were like.
I just finished The Other Side of Midnight last night (I stayed up reading until nearly midnight, even when I wasn't supposed to!), and I am speechless. That night, I nearly cried in awe of how sad but great the book is. Truly, Sidney Sheldon is a legend and a prodigy of literature.

The Other Side of Midnight is not just a book. It is nothing short of an epiphany. Reading it, I kept on forgetting that this book was written nearly three decades ago! (!973). This book is a flawless work of art, a masterpiece of writing and up to this day still one of the best fiction books of all time.
Part of the reason I liked Rage of Angels so much was because Sheldon writes in a fashion so that one is really emotionally attuned to the main character. TOSOM was mildly different. When (Name removed so that no spoilers are given) dies near the end, I sighed in a depressed way, and continued on. That was all. But that alone gives some indication towards how powerful this book is. When one reads as much as I do, one becomes almost indifferent to the joys, struggles, and deaths of characters in books.
When I reached the end of TOSOM, I shrugged and put the book back on my shelf. I wasn't tired, but I didn't want to wake up anyone else in my house by selecting another book to read in the morning. And then, as I lay in bed with the lights out, I reflected on how incredible this book is. It is flawless, and without a doubt, a contender against Rage of Angels for my favourite book I've ever read. One cannot begin to imagine how emotionally powerful this book is. Or should I say powerfully emotional? Both.

What are my complaints? Well, like all Sidney Sheldon books, I hated the cover art. (Okay, let me explain something: nearly every Sheldon book has two different kinds of covers: one with the predetermined, default artwork on it. This artwork is usally made up of various objects reflecting elements in the book: roses, glasses, needles, etc. The other type of cover is a cheap, uncreative picture of a woman lying sideways, facing the reader, but in black and white, and very indistinguishable as to appear in some way, enigmatic.) The cover of my copy of TOSOM was as such. Why did I particularly despise the cover? Well, earlier this year one day, when I was looking at Sidney Sheldon books in a second hand bookstore, (Don't worry, I would never get any second-hand books!) I saw a really old copy of TOSOM. And yet, if I saw it again this day, I would buy it in an instant. Barely and vaguely I can recall the cover art (The shadows of two individuals, a woman and a man, against a sun rise/set, in a very beautiful setting!) And yet clearly I can remember the art to be undetailed and simple. I think this art was done with the movie in mind. (Yes, there is a TOSOM movie. Yes, it came out a while ago. No, I have not seen it. Yes, I am going to see it.) After reading the book, and bringing that cover art back into my mind, it sort of influenced my mind in a peaceful, serene, blissful even!, but sad way.

There is nothing left for me to say, except that this book and Rage of Angels are the two most influential books I've ever read. What one reads slowly changes that one's outlook and perspective on things, and although some books do it less or more than others, TOSOM is possibly out of all the books I've read the one that has had the most profound effect on me.
I'm not even enjoying writing this review by now. To me, it seems that my review interferes and violates the near-holy sacredness with which I now worship this book. That is because I feel my own writing talents, even though I am only writing a review for the book, cannot begin to accurately describe how unbelievable TOSOM truly is. This book is undeniably powerful to a nearly overwhelming extent.
All I can say is that one, after fully reading this review, would be an utter fool not to read The Other Side of Midnight, if he or she has not already read it.

i first read this book in 1989 and what a read it turned out to be there are twists and turns on every page, i coudnt put it down.the story line is fantastic and any one considering buying a sidney sheldon novel shoud start with this one, truly a master writer.

"Cheaters" is not Dickey's best novel. While I enjoyed reading some of the male viewpoints expressed in monologues and dialogues throughout this novel, I had an extremely difficult time relating to the "sistas." I hope Dickey didn't expect readers to root for Chante, Tammy, or Karen. The mentality of these characters came across as immature and sometimes ghetto; perhaps the point of the book was to show how they started off one way and ended up better off somehow (I thought) but the problem is that these three characters had no depth to begin with so I started and ended this book with no respect (and little concern) for them. Because of the immaturity of these women, it was difficult to buy into Tammy's refined black woman/Nina Simmone/Josephine Baker persona, and I couldn't believe that Chante was raised by traveling, well-rounded parents due to her ghetto girl mentality. I couldn't find myself or any of the positive black women I know and respect in any of these characters. For once I'd like to read about female characters who aren't so obsessed with a man's "buck-fifty" that they don't notice much else (like who else he might be sharing it with). People who cheat don't neccessarily have to be so dysfunctional and immature.

I got through half the book and slowly my interest in these people waned; I didn't care what happened to most of these characters. They resembled stereotypes within a plot that was so cliche.

The plot was too predictable. I was looking for a fresh approach to the age-old topic of cheating (show me a storyline I haven't seen on a zillion TV shows and movies). This story has been told and retold time and time again: A promiscuous person haunted by his/her sins, the "oppressed" spouse who meets a "free spirited" woman/man and finds it a little too easy to stray from his/her commitment (the grass is greener on the other side -- sure), and there are a few other predictable subplots and endings which I won't give away (trust me, they'll give themselves away within the first quarter of the book)

Needless to say, I was disappointed because there was no good feeling to hold onto in the end; no happiness for the characters (whether they ended up happy or not); just another story about cheating to add to the pile. I still love Mr. Dickey and I will continue to read his books (cause I know there will be better ones). I love his accurate descriptions of the Los Angeles area (my home), its laidback settings, and characters. "Friends and Lovers" was his best, and I hope he'll take us back to those well-plotted stories with characters (good and bad) that are mature, complicated, and not so predictable.

Cheaters is one of the best novels that I have read recently. It focuses on today's dating game and the twists and turns as it relates to relationships - be it one on one or more than one. The content of this novel deals with the aspects that many other writers opt not to deal with. It explores love, truth, honesty, sex, sexuality, pain, suffering and emotional turmoil. It really opens up an avenue that shows the side of African American males that they want to keep hidden. It addresses the sensitive side that men try to hide and opens a woman's eye to that side of men. It's a great book and I have recommended it to all of my friends and fellow readers. If you're just beginning to read or if you're a member of a book club I highly recommend Cheaters for your enjoyment. I've have enjoyed all of his novels to this date and I can't wait for his new novel.

You've done it again Mr. Dickey! This book was very good. I enjoyed it, and it makes a great vacation read. I have become a devoted fan. I thought the characters in this book had some serious issues. I would love to see a sequel, or at least a book featuring Tammy and Darnell. That was a total surprise. But I could see how he would be drawn to a woman like Tammy when he had a woman like Dawn at home. She gave her husband absolutely NO support for his dreams and wishes at all. It really showed that people should have a LOT of conversation befor they say those "I Do's!" Jake was a flake. He gave new definition to the word "dog" and I don't blame Charlotte for leaving him. And poor Stephan was a victim of his father's legacy. Karen, however, had some SERIOUS issues with her, not to mention her toy 'Victor'. Interesting for a man to write about that. That one called for one of those things that make you go 'hhhhhmmmmmm!' Chante really had to learn how to value herself as a person. All in all, I enjoyed this book very much. However, some of the characters were a little hard to warm up to. However, I am looking forward to reading EJD's newest effort, "Liar's Game," and anything else he may write. I have a select group of writers that I buy whatever they have out and I think Mr. Dickey has moved onto that list! If you haven't read any of this author's books, buy a couple at a time because when you finish one, you will want to immediately pick up another one. They are like those potatoe chip ads, you can't read just one!

Even though this book was published in 1994, it still serves as a useful reference and learning tool for the TCP/IP protocol. There are of course changes and additions that have been made to TCP/IP over the last 7 years such as IPv6, but one can still refer to this book as a good source of information about the dynamics of TCP/IP. There are exercises at the end of each chapter, so it can, and has been used as an effective textbook.

In chapter 1, the author gives a brief overview of protocol layering, Internet addressing, and the domain name system. The encapsulation mechanisms for TCP and UDP are outlined as well as a discussion of the different implementations of TCP/IP. The Vegas implementation is not discussed since it was invented long after the date of publication of this book. Ethernet and the encapsulation provided by IEEE, SLIP, and PPP is discussed in the next chapter on the link layer, along with the loopback interface and MTU. Estimates are given of serial line throughput, setting the stage for later timing calculations.

The IP protocol is the subject of chapter 3, the author stressing first the connectionless and unreliable nature of IP packet transfer. The IP datagram format is given in discussed, along with a detailed discussion of subnet addressing and subnet masks. The discussion of IP given here is of course very out of date with the advent of IPv6.

Chapter 4 is an overview of ARP, and the author illustrates it effectively using an example of an FTP transfer and Telnet. This is followed by a treatment of RARP in the next chapter, with the limitations of this protocol briefly discussed. Although ARP is incorporated in all current implementations of TCP/IP (with the exception of IPv6), not all of these include RARP.

The ICMP error handling protocol is discussed in the next chapter, with all the message types listed, and brief discussions given of timestamp and address mask requests. This is followed naturally by a discussion of the Ping program in chapter 7, which uses ICMP echo request and reply messages.

The traceroute program, which finds which path IP packets follow from one to the other, is discussed in Chapter 8. An explicit example is given of how to use traceroute. Then in the next chapter, IP routing is discussed, along with an explicit example of a routing table. Again, the discussion is out-of-date, since in IPv6, the router discovery is replaced by a mandatory router solicitation and advertisement mechanism.

Dynamic routing protocols are the subject of the next chapter, wherein the author discusses RIP, OSPF, BGP, and CIDR. The newer ones, such as IGRP, EIGRP, and MPLS, are of course not treated.

UDP is then discussed in the next chapter, with examples given and IP fragmentation discussed, along with a brief overview of how UDP and ARP interact. This is followed in Chapter 12 by a discussion of broadcasting and multicasting, and the author outlines briefly the problems that rise when attempting to broadcast through routers. Then in the next chapter, the ICMP mechanism for multicasting is discussed. Here again the treatment is dated, since in IPv6 IGMP is replaced by multicast listener discovery messages and there are no broadcast addressing in IPv6.

The DNS database is discussed in the next chapter, with emphasis on how resolvers communicate with name servers using TCP/IP. The discussion is limited to A resource records, which is replaced in IPv6 with AAAA or A6 resource records. I did not read the next two chapters on TFTP and BOOTP so I will omit any commentary.

It is in the next chapter that the basics of TCP begin to be discussed, with the details of the TCP header given. The dynamics of the TCP connection is then treated in chapter 18, with a complete TCP state transition diagram given. The discussion is very helpful to those who need a thorough understanding of the connection steps in TCP. This is followed by a treatment of the Nagle algorithm and delayed ACKs in chapter 19. The exercises in this chapter need to be worked to appreciate the discussion.

The following chapter overviews how TCP sliding windows work, and how window sizing is done. Slow start, the bandwidth-delay product, and the urgent mode are all treated in great detail. The mathematical considerations behind TCP timeout and retransmission are given in chapter 21, along with a discussion of the congestion avoidance algorithm and the fast retransmit and fast recovery algorithms. Then in chapter 22, the TCP persist timer, used to prevent transmission deadlock and the silly window syndrome, is discussed in detail. The ability of TCP to implement a keepalive timer is discussed in the next chapter. Since it is out of date, I did not read the next chapter on the future of TCP.

The SNMP network management protocol is outlined in Chapter 25, with definitions of MIB and an overview of SNMP traps. These are very important concepts given the enormous importance of network management currently. There are currently several vendors that supply packages for polling, reporting, and forecasting network behavior that are based partially on SNMP and MIBs.

Telnet and Rlogin, which are still used extensively in modern networks, are discussed in the next chapter. After reading this chapter, the reader will have a thorough understanding of how these protocols work, which is also true of the next chapter that covers the FTP protocol, and the SMTP protocol, which is covered in chapter 28. I did not read the last two chapters of the book so I will omit any commentary.

The author has done a good job here of relating to the reader the structure and dynamics of TCP/IP based on what was known at the time. In view of the fact that IPv4 is still alive and well, and given that TCP implementations have only been slightly modified since 1994, one can still read this book profitably.

TCP/IP is the most fundamental protocol that drives the whole of the internet. A deep understanding of them is necessary for any wannabe network administrator/programmer/analyst etc.

Richard Stevens TCP/IP illustrated is one of the best books you can ever buy to understand not only TCP/IP but also other fundamental protocols like ARP, DHCP, SMTP etc. The word 'Illustrated' is significant, you actually see the protocols in action throughout this book. There are more pages devoted to examples rather than concepts, which is actually an excellent way to relate to the concepts.

Richard Stevens doesnt just write something, and assume you understood him and believed him in blind faith. He actually shows you what you write and helps you become more analytical in the workings of the internet.

This book is a bit old though, and with Richard Stevens dead, we might not see a revival of this book. It only covers TCP modification till Tahoe and Reno but chapter 24 gives you a more or less good idea about what the future will be like (in which we actually are, by the timeline of this book.)

Overall, if you want to not only learn networks, but feel them, then buy this book.

If you're into learning the underlying concepts of some of the most used protocols (ip, icmp, udp, and all those encapsulated in the aforementioned ones), there's no way around it! I've bought this book as soon as a friend of mine told me the following, which I'll quote "If you want to become a ninja in TCP/IP, you'll likely need to have this book at hand."; I found the book quite annoying in the beginning, due to the simple fact that I had recently read the book "O'reilly: TCP/IP Network Administration". I've dropped reading this one for like 2 months, and when I've started reading it back, It all went so utterly better. The book covers a lot of protocols, one of which I found very useful was DNS, because the available RFC's were generally not-so-easy(tm) to follow and understand; and after reading the chapter on DNS, It all turned to be much more simple than I found it be when reading the relevant RFC's. The book is a definitive guide for anyone, and should be used as such, for coverage and implementation you should read the book entitled "UNIX Network Programming" by the same author, Mr. W. Stevens (which unfortunately has passed away)