I am currently a teaching assistant for a class which uses this textbook. Comparatively, this is probably one of the better introductory textbooks for students who are not necessarily musically inclined, such as the class I work with. There is not a great deal of technical music jargon and it provides some decent contextualizations. However, some chapters are lacking in information and can be quite a dull read for students, such as the chapter on Japanese music. And at times authors give too much in the way of personal "fieldwork" anecdotes instead of covering other areas or possible issues. The third edition came out not too recently, but from what I can tell, contains almost the exact same information as the second.

This book presents a series of articles on music and the role of music in a variety of cultures around the globe. The articles each begin with a description of a musical event or concert in a culture, then go on to give more details about characteristics of a wide range of musical styles in that culture. The featured description in each chapter is usually some sort of traditional or classical style for that culture, and popular music in the culture is treated briefly. I found a few of the musical terms hard to understand, never having studied musical theory myself. Perhaps some of these terms would have become more clear through listening to the oft-mentioned accompanying CD, which I unfortunately don't have. There is a glossary in the back of the book, but its definitions are not sufficient to make meanings clear to someone without a thorough grounding in world music. In a few places, the proofreader missed some details, as for example, p. 46 the map of the Middle East shows UAR where the UAE is supposed to be! In addition to the use of technical terms without explanations, the lack of an overall big picture of world music makes this book more of a resource to dip into for background readings than a systematic introduction to the subject. It would work well as readings for a course, but is not ideal for self-study.

I first came across this book when still a student taking an introductory course in asian music cultures. It was and is still is a great read especially for students who are non-musicology majors and have a tendency to get lsot in more technical books. The language, style, presentation and discussion is simple and interestingly handled. Not too scholarly as to be overwhelming. Great background on the socio-cultural context of the music.

I wouldn't say it's a great work of literature but Bruno does an excellent job describing the life of the professional killer. For whatever reason, the book was able to really capture my attention. I read it in a few hours.

The book, at times, read like one of Bruno's novels. Other times, like true crime from St. Martin's press. Well, now that we're all confused, let me say this: it's not all bad. The Iceman (Richard Kuklinski) is a very interesting killer. I wish the book focused more on him than one of the undercover agents who sought to bring him down because the cops are always the stereotypicals who eat poorly and feel guilty about not spending enough time with their family. Big yawn! I also found some of Kuklinski's murder claims dubious. Specifically the Roy DeMeo hit. 'Nuff said, capice?

This is the title of the New York Times article (2/21/03, page B1) about the current criminal charges leveled at serial killer Richard Kuklinski whose exploits Anthony Bruno wrote so brilliantly in THE ICE MAN (Dell, 1994).

Today Kuklinski now stands accused of the 1980 shotgun slaying of NYPD Officer Peter Calabro. In 1999 a reviewer here was critical of THE ICE MAN because author Bruno wrote about "the undercover agents who sought to bring [Kuklinski] down because the cops are always the stereotypicals. Big Yawn!"

The lives of police officers may be a big yawn to that person, but hopefully not to the majority. I applaud Anthony Bruno for recognizing & recounting just how much of themselves police officers put on the line to bring the likes of Kuklinski to justice... It is as fine a read today as it was 9 years ago. Like a fine wine, maybe even better.

Logan bruno is the modern Zarathustra, come to lead man through the three stages (camel, lion, and infant) of the cyclical human development. he has acheaved living in the moment without thoughts of gravity and graves. he has become that dancer that can move the boundaries. But like all men he must die and you should not elevate him to a god.

Logan Bruno of the Babysitter's Club once again appears center stage. As the pressures of school beckon his poise, he must decide what is more important-- babysitting and girls with mousy brown hair that love Cam Geary and famous cities skirts..... or influential bad boys named Jam and evil sports teams. This book provides a bit of everything-- romance, sports, bad boys, the name Jam, humor, dorkiness, and lameness. A definite keeper. I recommend that you get in the know and check it out!

I think that this book was TOTALLY cool and TOTALLY realistic. It talks about what kids sometimes do under pressure. Go Logan!

This book weighs in at 217 pages (including index). Unfortunately, what you really get is about 50 pages worth of material, and much of that is repetitive and/or obvious.

Particularly galling are the many pages (over 25) devoted to quotes, one quote per page. We're talking 15-20 words per page for such pages. OK, nice quotes, but they should take a line or two each, not a page.

Probably the most useful thing is that it includes a sample business plan.

In sum, this book is an outline of the book it should be, and an outline that has been stretched to cover 200 pages.

Until the authors write the book that goes with this outline, save your money.

Probably a updated and translated version of the "Planen, gründen, wachsen. Mit dem professionellen Businessplan zum Erfolg" Book (ISBN: 3706405962).

The original meaning of the word "adventure" evolved from "what comes or happens by chance" (i.e. luck) to "hazardous undertaking." Looser and Schlapfer perhaps had this in mind as they collaborated on this book. In it, they provide a step-by-step in introduction to the concepts needed to prepare a business plan and then to arrange the financing of a business idea; also, the basic knowledge needed to participate effectively in subsequent discussions and negotiations and to ask the right questions; also, the necessary business language (i.e. all the jargon and technical expressions one needs to know), explained by the authors and augmented by a very useful Glossary; finally, a References section for further reading. They organize their material within four Parts:

Starting Up a Company -- How Companies Grow

The Business Idea -- Concept and Presentation

Developing the Business Plan

Valuing a Start-Up and Raising Equity

Looser and Schlapfer are well aware of the fact that a reputable venture capital firm annually funds (on average) only one business plan of every 500 considered. (In 1999, Draper Fisher Jurvetson received almost 20,000 business plans.) Obviously, competition is ferocious. As the authors explain, their manual "is aimed at helping you through the first stage of starting up an innovative, high-growth company: writing a professional business plan....The trick is to take advantage of promising, innovative ideas, research and technology, and financing in the form of venture capital investment funds to achieve a breakthrough." There are three stages to the start-up process: First, put the business idea down on paper and analyze its marketability of on the basis of a few key indicators. (the authors identify and explain them.) Next, develop the idea into a detailed business plan which obtains the funds needed. Finally, build the company to profitability according to the business plan. (The authors suggest several "next steps", including the withdrawal of investors.) Part 3 is perhaps the most valuable section of the book because it provides a comprehensive, step-by-step explanation of HOW to formulate a proper business plan. Another valuable section is located in the Appendix: the "Extended Table of Contents"(ETC). After you have read the book, I urge you to review the ETC at least weekly. Why? Because it can serve as a check list of possible "early-warning signs" to which you and your associates must constantly be alert. You also need to know that each copy includes a CD: "mySAP Workplace -- The Enterprise Portal solution." This is an excellent value-added benefit.

If you share my high regard for this book, check out Done Deals (edited by Udayan Gupta) and The VC Way (authored by Jeffrey Zygmont). Those involved in a "hazardous undertaking" need all the help they can

Latour again demonstrates trivial insights and egregious errors. He simply does not know his subject (allegedly science) well enough - he makes conceptual and factual blunders. I am glad this book is still in print because it is a useful aid in teaching humanity students about science - but not in the way Latour had envisioned! By understanding his misinterpretations, we can learn how laypeople get confused.

I'm an electrical and electronics engineer, working for a governmental R&D Institution. I also study on Science and Technology Policy Studies for an M.S. degree. I found the book quite useful, especially in its aspect of analyzing the scientist and engineer in his own time, his own context, his own psychology... It is a well organized, fluent, clear book. It may not be a complete guide or a definitive study, but it is a good point to start. Recommended...

Latour today can be regarded as one of the leading philosophers of science and technology. After his first work with Steve Woolgar, "Laboratory life", this is his second major work in which he generalises on various topics that he only touched in a very preliminary way in the above work. Latour adopts a very original way of following scientists in their struggle to "produce" scientific truth. He studies them as if they were a tribe (Latour is originally an ethnographer).

His conclusion is that scientific truth and the designing of succesful technological artefacts is not so much a "unveiling of some hidden truth behind things" or a logical construction, but a very heterogeneous project in which money, resources, statements, objects, people and numerous other things are linked in such a way that a strong chain is formed. Something is true if the chains is strong enough to withstand "trials of strength". Latour does away with metaphysical ideas of "The Truth" but insist in stead that truth is very much a stage in a process of negotiation between human and non-human actors. The idea that truth is the result of a logical process in which an abstract "reality" is discovered is, according to Latour, a story that is told afterwards to defend the theory itself and not something that is inherent in the forming of the theory itself.

In a very easy-to-read way Latour guides his readers through the work of science and technology "in the making". A must for any student in science and technology as well as for any scholar in social sciences and philosophy.

This is supposed to be advance, but it looks more like confusion. This book is poorly written, full of assumptions. Unless you're willing to spend the time to ponder what's going on, don't even waste your money.

Furthermore, the bank has pulled the plug on the publisher, so you won't even get any support.

I'd say scrap this book, better to buy WROX's Professional PHP Program instead.

I have found this book very helpful in going beyond the basics. I would not recommend it for beginners for several reasons but mostly because there are a ton of errors that would frustrate a newbie. I checked their site for error listings and there is only one. If they would keep the list updated then I would highly recommend this book.

If you are an avid Dreamweaver user with some experience with PHP handcoding, not just the queries Dreamweaver lets you write, this book is great. Otherwise, keep looking.

lbxiong doesn't have a clue and is quick to dismiss a well-thought out book.

It also seems to have escaped his notice that Glasshaus were owned by Wrox who also went into liquidation, so the book he recommended won't receive any support either!

This said the authors of Dreamweaver MX: Advanced PHP Web Development have continued to support their work even though they will never see any proceeds from the sale of this book. Now *THAT'S* dedication...

This book is not appropriate for children who are too young to separate fantasy from fact. It contains images of danger and death and the main character, Jemima, is portrayed as inept and stupid. I realize that millions of kids have enjoyed this book over the years, but my child will have to wait until she's old enough to understand these concepts and not be frightened by them.

This story is about a duck named Jemima Puddle-Duck and she isn't able to hatch her own eggs because the farmers wife wouldn't let her. Where ever Jemima was she would get caught and her eggs were taken away. Then one day Jemima Puddle-Duck went looking for a place to hatch her eggs. She saw a forest down a hill and started to run for it. She flew down and saw a stump that would be nice to site on but a gentleman was sitting on it reading a newspaper. So Jemima started to quack and he looked at her. He thought she was lost and asked her if she was but really Jemima wasn't. She told him she was looking for a place to hatch her eggs, so he took her back to his house where he has a place full of feathers that would be nice. Jemima kept going to his house and one day she decided to stay there until they were hatched. The gentleman told her he was going to cook an omlette for her so he told her to go get some supplies. She did and saw a friend and told him the hole story and one day he went to see her at the gentlemans house. What happened at the end of the book? Read "The Tale of Jemima Puddle-Duck" to find out.
I liked this book because I liked the surprise ending and the illustrations. K.V

I always had Beatrix Potter down as an avatar of Home Counties tweeness, with her anti-modern paeans to the countryside and de liddle cuddly animals. So the unsentimental brutalities of this story came as a welcome shock. 'Jemima Puddle-Duck' is as endearingly hopeless as her name suggests, unable to tend her eggs in the overcrowded barn she shares with some supercilious hens. She flies over the forest in search of a suitably solitary spot, and comes across a helpful gentleman dressed in tweed, reading 'The Sporting Times'. He is a fox, and invites her to make use of his summer residence, in particular the shed carpeted with the feathers of previous victims. Dazzled by his good breeding, Jemima accepts his offer and visits daily. When the eggs are about to hatch, Foxy suggests she bring along various goodies so they can have a charming goodbye party...

The unremitting violence in this story does not emanate from where you'd expect, and this clear-eyed vision of the natural order of things, of brute force vs. cunning, takes place in the most idyllic setting yuou can think of, a richly detailed rural England, its hills and plants alive and painted in the most soothing colours. But even this balmy backdrop plays out a cycle of struggle for domination, with spiders eating flies, and various other creatures being horrid to one another.

Written at the turn of the 20th century, just before female emancipation, it's hard not to see the woebegotten Jemima as an image of women's fate in a world run by men, both good and bad, with the fox as parisitic aristo in straitened circumstances, and the dog as paternalistic liberal. Indeed, the whole thing plays like an Emile Zola potboiler disguised as toddler fodder. Upsetting, cruel and marvellous.

Before I get started, let me just say that I did not read this book. But I had the (dis)pleasure of going on a tour of the Italian Market in Philly with Ms. Morello recently and I would like to pass on some information to prospective book buyers. I am a Philadelphia native and a 2nd generation Italian American, so I took issue with a lot of what she had to say during the tour.

Ms. Morello believes that Italian Americans involved in organized crime are involved in organized crime simply because it is in their nature to be criminals. While I am certainly not justifying organized crime, I will say that when immigrants came to this country in the late 19th and early 20th centuries (Italians and other Europeans alike), they were poor, many lived in tenaments, and they did what they thought they had to do to survive. This doesn't make it right, but it certainly paints a different picture than does Ms. Morello's opinion.

Ms. Morello believes that Italian Americans don't read. This coming from an Italian American woman whom one would hope is well read herself, being a historian and criminologist. Are we to believe that she doesn't read either? Or is it just those OTHER Italian Americans who are illiterate?

These are just two very important points that stuck out in my mind out of many distasteful things that were expressed by Ms. Morello throughout the day. I would not purchase this or any other book by her because I don't feel that she has any authority to speak.

The 1st couple chapters made me feel like I was doing a thesis for a masters and is more for sociologits. The main part of the book was really good reading if you are into the history of Philly , the Philly mob or ethnic groups in Philly. I read it for mainly the mafia history. It is obvious she did a lot of work on the background. I just wish it was a little longer for the amount of money you pay. Looking forward to the next volume.

I already posted a review on this book, but it never made it up, its the second time that happened, if it happens again, I'm done reviewing at Amazon. However, I've decided to re-review it because I liked the book.

Most Mafia authors base their books on books that were based on books that were incorrect from the start. And when there are unknown gaps, they usually fill it in with what they think happened- I.E., the selling of Memberships in the Anastasia Family in the 50's.

However, this book was based on old reports, news articles, and interviews-notably with Enrico Riccobene. Its a very good read and history about a time that is hard to refer upon. While any book mentioning Phili's history always states Sabella as the first Boss, she admits that there were more bosses before that, the Mafia has been active in Phili since 1880 and Sabella became boss in 1918.

Its well researched until she refers to the Bonanno book. She uses some Joe Bonanno quotations and then at other times goes completely against what Bonanno claims. Such as after 1931, all non-Sicilians were let into the Mafia after years as associates. If that's the case, how does one explain Joe Valachi, Al Capone, Vito Genovese, or Adonis for that matter? There was no appointed time when non-Sicilians were just let in. Over the period of 30 years more and more mainlanders were just let in.

I'm not sure if she claims it in this book, or her second, but she claims that Maranzano planned to reorganize the Mafia, but was murdered by Luciano who then formed the LCN and made all the old Bosses step down.

I have always heard of Maranzano proclaiming himself Boss of Bosses and then appointing the hierarchy. Its all wrong. The hierarchy existed long before that and whatever changes Maranzano made effected NY and NY alone. And her claim that Luciano organized the LCN is amazing. Luciano and "Cosa Nostra" have always been exaggerated and thrown out of proportion due to the Valachi Papers and the Last Testament of Luciano. Both were very incorrect. The only thing Luciano helped form was the Commission, that's it. And I don't know where she got her claim that all the old bosses were forced to step down in 1931 and have new American ones appointed. I can provide a list of bosses that experienced no changes in the year of 1931, however Ill settle for a few examples-Profaci, Magaddino, Volpe, and a dozen or so more.

I think she got this from the Riccobene interviews. Its quite possible that Philadelphia didn't let no non-Sicilians in until John Avena became Boss, but it wasn't no set rule, and if Sabella stepped down, it was all on his own, no one forced him too. Riccobene, like Gravano and Valachi were soldiers and were not explained things, what they heard were rumors and sketchy comments. Gravano's claim that Johnny Sacks Simone was murdered because of a war with Scarfo for Boss, in an 1980 Phili setting is all wrong. Simone was allied with Caponegro who was the one running against Scarfo for Boss. Gravano didn't lie, he just was a soldier and I doubt Castellano explained the whole thing to him, what he heard were rumors or just got his facts mixed up. Who knows.

But Riccobene was in his early teens during 1931, how much of a reliable source is he?

Despite the incorrect facts, Morello put them down because she did her research from sources (unreliable) and believed she was putting down the truth. And the American Mafia/LCN belief is an open dispute. Some can believe the Alien Conspiracy Theory or they can believe the Gang Evolution theory. She chooses to believe the GE Theory. She did the work, she didn't read a bunch of books and throw together a bunch of incorrect concepts and try to sell it and that's what she gets credit for. She's one of the best authors on the subject to date. The rest just make up stuff.

Hopefully, this review goes through this time.

My English instructor had assigned us to analyize part of the book. As a non-English speaker, I really had hard time to read it. The ideas were not clear. Overall, I didn't like it at all.

It is a hard book describing situations people who live in a free society just don't have to face. It illuminates issues of personal choice in the face of overwhelming external pressure. I first read it eight years ago and I still remember it. The bit about the psychology of the Nazi salute was remarkable. Also his view on the nature of (and need for) work in a person's life is worth considering. I have lost my copy and am in the process of getting another copy to replace it. The highest accolade .. it is a book worth spending money on!

The unique perspective of Bettelheim, as a survivor of Nazi Concentration Camps, is invaluable to us today. How could people be so passive in such horrible conditions? What could have been different?

Bettelheim outlines his beliefs on how individuals must act when freedom is threatened, if freedom is to be maintained. We forget today how tenuous freedom can be.

I was fortunate to meet Dr. Bettelheim in his later life, and found the strength of the persona every bit as enlightening as this book. A remarkable book by a remarkable man. A man who overcame much and came to understand.

Anglophone readers probably don't realise that Latour meant this book as a tongue-in-cheek exercise to capture the postmodern social theory market in his own country by using a postmodern style to show what an illusion postmodernism has always been. But, as fate would have it, when someone sneezes in Paris, an Anglophone is felled with pneumonia. It's hard to believe that anyone with a firm grasp of the history of the last 250 years of Western culture would find this book anything more than a diversion worthy of maybe a couple of arguments in the pub. It's telling that historians of science, who are really the people who are in a position to hold Latour accountable to anything he says here, have given the book a chilly reception. Classify this one under 'Pseud's Corner'.

I'd like to think I'm not a dummy, but this was hard to read. It looks to me like the book was translated to English by someone who might know more about Anthropology than written communication. There were times when I felt that maybe it had been run through Babblefish.

Dissing of the translator aside, the author assumes the reader is completely knowlegable of all the apparently pretty divisions and differences in opinions between one group of scientists and another. Man I could care less, unless it leads to an advancement of a science, and I wasn't convinced. But maybe because I didn't care.

There were times where I felt that a greater service would have been done if the soap opera would have been skipped.

That said, the book contains some insightful and thought provoking ideas on how societies view each other and themselves. I found some concepts a powerful catalyst in my design efforts.

For this reader, Bruno Latour's book is one of the most ambitious, original, and important reformulations of social theory since 1989. It is getting lots of attention among scholars, and deserves a wider public. The press reviews here don't do this book justice.

Latour, for those of you who don't know him, has been at the forefront of the emerging field of "science studies", the history and sociology of science, for the past 15 years. He's also a rather bizarre fellow. His "Aramis" is a book of real sociology that is told in the form of a novel, in which the metro car of a failed Parisian public transportation project becomes one of a series of narrators. In "We Have Never Been Modern," he conscisely summarizes the theoretical basis of his work, and stakes out ground that is genuinely new. The book should excite humanisitic academics, scientists, and intellectually adventurous people from all walks of life with a taste for theory.

The thesis -- the basis for the "we have never been modern" part -- is that the "great divide" between nature and human, subject and object, science and society, was never real. Instead, he says, this subject/object divide was the great dirty fiction of the "modern" world.

To give you the gist of the argument as briefly as possible: the separation of nature and human, that has marked Western intellectual life since the 17th century, allowed both science and the humanities to make their own claims for absolute truth. This divide was the basis for our image of "modern western man."

But these claims hid the fact that "hybrids" were springing up all the while. Modernity also spawned technological "quasi-objects" that blur the line between the natural and the human. The tremendous multiplication of these "quasi-objects" (Latour's neologism)in our times has finally forced us to the point where we are at a startling conclusion: the divorce of man from nature never really took place.

What we thought of as scientific Western man was never real. Latour wants us, the generation left with the consequences of this revelation, to exhume this past of hybridity, and seek out a new relationship between nature and culture. In short, he wants to both humanize science and render the humanities more scientific.

This brief bastardization does not do justice to the work. Latour elegantly and convincingly lays out his thesis, and the results are dazzling and compelling. He's also sharp and witty, and fans of the like of Baudrillard and Derrida will see their idols tossed about a bit.

On the other hand, the book is immensely ambitious in its theoretical claims, and has a tendency to pretend that complex and difficult ideas are obvious truth. One wonders at times if he is practicing the French intellectual's habit of making our heads spin for the sheer thrill of watching the confusion. But he's not, and most readers, I think, will finish the book that Latour is ultimately both a sensible man and a humane one.

As a graduate student in the humanities, I know that this book is getting a growing audience in academia. I hope that some non-academic visitors to amazon.com (especially science buffs who enjoy the likes of Steven Pinker and Daniel Dennet) will treat themselves to this intellectual adventure. It's a truly original book, not much over 100 pages, reasonably priced, and well worth the experience.