The XP book market is getting increasingly crowded; this book differs from the pack as it walks through examples in an easy to grasp format. The book is geared towards Java developers; this is not a problem per se but non-Java developers should be aware of this. My copy of this book is beaten and worn!

I think this is one of the only XP books that links back into Agile Modelling. This is very helpful as XP readers sometimes get the impression that XP throws the baby out with the bathwater; design is still important!

Another aspect I liked was the inclusion of quite few photographs; this helps bridge the gap between the words and understanding. If you're seriously interested in using XP you should get this book.

Where was this book 2 years ago!

No muss, no fuss; just a straightforward exposition of what XP is, and what it is not. If you are wondering what all the fuss over XP is all about, this book won't disappoint you. XP is commonly characterized as "Forget planning, just code!" This book clarifies that misconception, and others. It is really directoed at answering the question "How come XP projects don't collapse in chaos?" After reading this book, XP didn't sound nearly as crazy as it does on the newsgroups.

Although I have been a follower of XP and have read David Astels works before, I was initially apprehensive on reading another book on XP programming.

One of the goals of XP is to be succinct and iterative - ironically I had difficulty finding XP books that had followed the goals of XP. My assumption is that many of the books have been rushed to publication.

"Practical Guide to XP" has many more plusses than minuses. There are actual hands-on examples, with code. About a quarter of the book is devoted to test and source code from an XP project. I am normally not a big fan of having complete source code from a project in a book - aside from making the book heavier it generally serves little purpose. In this particular case, it makes sense as the processes of XP can be "followed through". XP is a development process/philosophy - as such it is better for newcomers to follow an actual implementation to fully appreciate the concepts.

This book will help somewhat to clear the fog on the many views on XP. XP, like all development methodologies, is a combination of art and science. There will be many views on methods of practicing XP and each project will be unique. This book will help you decide what you need to use for your particular project.

Hope this helps - please let me know if you have any questions or suggestions.

This book has great explanations, but the binding falls off easily. Mine fell off in about two weeks of moderate use. But the lessons are clear, the examples are good, and the format of the book in general is easy to follow.

I just finished reading this book to a 4th grade class @ Cape St Clair Elem. school in Annapolis. Md. It was "Guest Reader Day", and it was chosen by the Media Specialist for me to read. I had so much fun reading it, that I will now search for a copy to add to my child's library. It's alot of fun to annimate, and the children laughed many times, especially as more, and MORE bears kept showing up. An adorable book for ALL kids.

"PRINCE ALBERT: The Life and Lies of Al Gore" (ISBN 0-936783-28-1) by David N. Bossie, Floyd G. Brown, and foreword by Robert D. Novak is a book written against a politician who is not popular with certain groups and individuals. Many of the supposed revelations against former Vice President Al Gore have been made against other figures in the past, present, and will probably occur again in future histories from groups and individuals who dislike a specific figure. The authors and Robert D. Novak in the introduction to the book indicate that this book, claiming to be a wakeup call and warning, is not written objectively and impartially towards Al Gore. History reveals that many political figures have calculated their way to positions of power, made compromises, and changed their stands on issues to achieve personal goals and aims. I wonder if the authors would write such a scathing book on newly inaugurated President G. W. Bush if they were not Republican supporters. Further, what would the authors' response be to a book personally attacking them in a similar manner as "PRINCE ALBERT." I am not a die hard supporter of either major or minor American political parties that exists today. I do try to study the issues and candidates before making decisions, unfortunately books such as penned by Mr. Bossie and Mr. Brown has a negative impact on my decisions and view of the political party the authors favor. This title will get a mixture of reactions from the individuals who read the book. The anti-Clinton/Gore groups will praise the book for exposing an corrupt self-serving politician, pro-Clinton/Gore groups will denounce the book as an attempt to discredit a favorite politician, and a majority of individuals will have a mixed reaction somewhere in between the two extremes. I do not like the way the authors have written about their chosen subject, however if asked, I would state my dislike for the book and recommend that the person asking the question read the title and form his or her own opinion on the subject and the authors.

Given the confrontational title and the soft cover, I expected this to be another pulp account of the Clinton/Gore misdeeds. Well, I was right to expect a critical approach, but wrong to assume it was pulp. To the contrary, it is very well researched and detailed. It starts with Al Gore's childhood, discussing the forces that formed Al Gore, the person and future politician. It illustrates, through various examples, how Al Gore was protected and raised to be a politician in the way a prince is raised to be king. It covers his time in DC, Tennessee, Boston (Harvard), and Vietnam (where his superiors kept him out of harm's way). It covers his time as a reporter, a divinity student, law student, senator and vice President. Through it all, the authors show how Gore influenced and was influenced by his environment. But, through his dual acquiescence to Northern liberals and moderate Dixiecrats, and from his shifts through the liberal 60's to the conservative 80's to the moderate 90's, it is also made clear that Gore adapts to his environment more than he shapes it.

Bottom line: I would recommend this book not so much for the criticisms it makes but for the unflinching analysis it gives of a man who might be the next president.

"Prince Albert" was a good read and has a little more than an overview of Al Gore's life but it does not go into great detail in many areas. To do so would have required a much longer book. It does do an excellent job of outlining Al'a life and giving one a good idea of how he got to where he is and what he would do if he became president. In particular I found the discussion of his intellectual mentors interesting. The authors have done a reasonable job of answering the question of who Al goes to when he has a decision to make. I knew that Al Gore was a life long politician, however, I did not know that his parents basically raised him with the idea that he would someday become president.

If you want to have facts about Al Gore for political discussions this fall this is the book for you.

I think the title expresses my opinion. Get it from the library.

Professor Novak's book is an attempt to bridge the gap between the Jewish and Christian religion from a Jewish point of view. The fact that he called it a Jweish Justification in the subtitle is telling because it implies that such a dialogue is not looked upon with favor by his co-religionists. The discussions range from the Noahide laws, of which Christians unless they are Mormons or theologians, tend to be unaware of, through medieval views including those of Maimonedes to modernity. Novak also devotes a chapter of what he calls "The Quest for the Jewish Jesus," which attempts to find common ground where none can exist in orthodox Judaism.
It is furthermore of interest that the only real dialogue the author presents is that between two friends Rosenzweig and Rosenstock both of whom born into the Jewish religion but Rosenstock had converted to Christianity. The fact that their correspondence took place during World War I and was published in the nineteenthirties reduces its relevance for today.
In "A New Theology of Jewish-Christian Dialogue" Novak emphasizes the primacy of listening to God's voice. "Scripture is concerned with removing the thought that God can be seen, but encourages the the thought that God can be heard." Unfortunately in human life those who actually hear, rather than think about, God's voice tend to be in the vast majority mentally unbalanced. Hearing voices is a rather reliable hallmark of mental illness. This is not to deny that a few individuals throughout history have had this genuine religious experience but it cannot be expected from the majority.
The book represents the author's personal philosophy and as an individual steeped in the physical sciences I found it somewhat difficult to read.