This book promotes date rape in a comedic way. Not the best thing for people to be reading this century.

This book is perhaps one of the most hilarious books I have ever read, and interesting as it is probably the first book that takes such a funny look at kissing and the"art" of kissing. The emotional and physiological responses involved in kissing are great, very creative, and although I'm not sure that knowing how to kiss is the #1 contributing factor involved in finding happiness, it does offer some great ideas and techniques that have allowed an open dialogue about kissing with my fiance. Great Book!!!

My girlfriend gave me this book, after ridiculing my technique on our first kiss. At the time, I tried to explain to her that since I was far less experienced in kissing matters than she, I should be given another chance. She relented, I read the book, and the last time we were together, I guestimate that we kissed 12,960 times over a four day period, so I guess I'd have to say that the book worked (unless she's after my money, of which there is none, since I've spent so much of it on her). What I found particularly insightful was the overarching philosophy that a kiss is really a poetic piece of art--to be slowly savored, deliberately dwelt upon, and absorbed by all the senses. As in these lines quoted in the book: "The earth went from under my feet; my soul was no longer in my body; I touched the stars; I knew the happiness of angels.'' Those lines recall for me an equivalent, though somewhat more roughly-put sentiment expressed by Simone de Beauvoir in one of her letters to her lover, Nelson Algren: "Give me your mouth.'' Either way, the point is the same: the joy of closing one's eyes, opening one's lips, and feeling the wet, the warmth, and the want of a lover's mouth is unparalleled. Indeed, as Morris quotes Elizabeth Barrett Browning, a good kiss is "as long and silent as the ecstatic night.'' Believe in and practice the philosophy this book preaches, and your partner will be a goner in no time. Just ask my girlfriend!

...which in itself is quite an achievement. Author Carrere's prose and the insights we are allowed into the mind of his youthful protagonist are vivid and given life with an authentic voice. Nicolas' confusion and anxiety -- the building blocks of adolescnce, if I remember correctly (some things we never forget...) -- are heart-rending and memorable.

In one scene, wherein he experiences his (evidently) first nocturnal emission, he is horrified, at first believing that he has wet his bed -- leading us to the conclusion that his education on this front has been lacking, if not completely absent. Other indications point toward this as well -- he seems to be an above-average, 'normal' (whatever that is) boy, who has been extremely sheltered from the 'real world' by his parents. They have gone out of their way to insure that he not be traumatized by school or his classmates.

Nicolas' father is a travelling salesman -- a purveyor of medical equipment and prosthetic devices, a specialty that lends itself well to Nicolas' imagination and the efforts he makes to make himself 'interesting' to his fellow students. Away from home on a class outing -- a ski-instruction trip -- with his head filled with tales of ghoulish adults harvesting organs from kidnapped children, when a child disappears from the local village, the fuse of his imagination is lit. What follows is an almost Hardy Boys-inspired fascination with the possibilities seen in the child's disappearance -- and some pretty twisted inventions by Nicolas and his partner-in-detection, fellow-student and school tough guy Hodkann. The reality they find at the end of their amateurish investigation comes as a shock to everyone involved -- and Nicolas is the last one to find out.

The suspense in this short novel (easily read in one sitting) is palpable and entertaining -- my only complaint is that the character and psyche of Nicolas was gone into a bit more deeply. It's still an enjoyable read -- and I'll be on the lookout for an earlier novel, THE MUSTACHE, by this author.

First of all, let me state that the reviewer below who said this book relies on graphic violence is flat out incorrect. There is no graphic violence described!

This slim novel vividly explores the psychological terror of Nicholas, a sheltered adolescent who is sent to a two-week ski-camp. He is obviously the wimpy outsider, and every encounter with classmates or adults becomes an intense mental test, in which the wrong word could prove fatal. Carerre's understated prose masterfully depicts the terror experienced by an over-imaginative child on his own for the first time, but the suspense really develops when a child from the village near the ski-camp goes missing and is found brutally murdered. While astute readers will easily foresee the conclusion from earlier hints, the inevitable endgame is both gripping and crushing. Someone else compared the book's tone to that of the excellent Dutch film "Spoorloss" (aka "The Vanishing"--not the American remake). That's an apt comparison, although this book has also been made into a movie as "La Classe de neige."

for such a short book, carrere seems to have packed everything into that he could. this book is very suspensful. nicholas, the main char, has a very active imagination and reads way too much horror, and carrere uses that to build the tension, suspense and dread as the story reaches its climax. the author did an excellent job telling the story from a child's point of view. there is no overt sex in the story, but throughout you get a hint of homoeroticism.

This book covers almost all the aspects in designing optical transmission system. Considering the fact that optical amplifiers are indispensable in modern optical transmission systems, it is with reason that the book covers not only EDFA but also FEC, Q factor measurement and even Raman. Compared to its predecessor, it is more engineering oriented. In addition to its very useful appendices, description on actual systems, terrestrial and submarine, are very informative and inclusive. In particular, chapter 2 gives a very good insight into the nature of optical noise. Therefore, I would like to recommend it to every engineer in optical communication field.

This book is clearly a natural complement to the EDFA "Bible" written by E. Desurvire. The four top rate scientists and authors bring together an unparallel understanding of the subject through their experience and divers of points of view. From pure physics, R&D to systems applications, the amazing wealth of information provides an up-to-date and comprehensive coverage of rare earth doped fiber amplifiers. I recommend this book as an indispensable Reference for both professionals and students involved in the studies of optical fiber amplifiers

Since its 1994 publication, Desurvire's "Erbium-Doped Fiber Amplifiers: Principles and Applications" has been *the* standard reference book on the physics and system applications of optical amplifiers. As many scientists and engineers will attest, "Principles" is unchallenged in its authoritative coverage of key topics, including modeling and characteristics of EDFAs, and quantum and semiclassical treatments of noise in amplified systems. Although "Principles" remains a timeless classic, the intervening eight years have seen relentless progress in optical amplifiers and their applications, necessitating a companion volume.

The new volume, "Erbium-Doped Fiber Amplifiers: Device and System Developments", is divided into two major parts, describing fundamentals and applications, respectively.

Chapters 1-4 deal with a number of important fundamental issues. The serious reader will appreciate the thoroughness and rigor with which all of these topics are treated. Space permits me to describe only a few highlights.

In Chapter 2, Desurvire provides a deep, fascinating treatment of noise in optical amplifiers, which should be read by anyone seeking an understanding beyond the semiclassical description. We learn that the dominant noise in amplified direct-detection systems arises from fluctuations in stimulated emission and not, as widely thought, from signal-spontaneous beat noise. Desurvire succeeds in making photon-number and coherent states understandable to engineers not trained in quantum field theory. This chapter ends with an in-depth discussion of amplifier noise figures, uniting the microwave and optical regimes along lines proposed recently by H. Haus.

Chapter 3 presents the first complete description of information capacity limits in optical transmission systems in both semiclassical and quantum regimes. Comprehending these fundamental limits requires one to combine an understanding of the physical characteristics of noise and nonlinearity with the tools of Shannon's information theory. Desurvire is one of very few individuals capable of synthesizing these disparate topics and presenting them in a coherent form. This chapter presents an original unified quantum model for noise and nonlinearity that is certain to inspire other research in this field.

In Chapters 5-8, we are given a comprehensive survey of recent progress in amplifier and system technologies for terrestrial and undersea applications. Here, Desurvire has teamed with three authoritative coauthors, who wrote three of the four chapters. Chapters 5-8 cover these topics in systematic, detailed fashion. We learn about the latest developments that open up new fiber amplification windows, including lumped and distributed Raman amplifiers and various doped-fiber alternatives to the erbium-doped silica workhorse. Since the 1994 publication of "Principles", extended system reach has made fiber nonlinearity and chromatic dispersion compensation into topics of enormous importance, and these are discussed amply here. In a very real sense, the story of fiber system research is the story of "hero" experiments, and here we are treated to a fastidious accounting of every summit that researchers have climbed.

If you are a serious scientist, engineer or student working on optical communications, you will find this book essential reading for years to come.

This was a disappointing buy to me. Common sense is a large topic and this book didn't give me what I was expecting from it.
The matters are treated in a too slim way, and games analysis are from openings we usually do not see any more. A large subject but a small treatment. But maybe I just didn't understand it?

this is a good book to start with after u get familiar with the
basic rules of chess like how to move pieces castle and all that stuff. this is like a primer for beginners
if u have played well over some 100 games to 200 games u may need it no promise there but if u have played well over 500 games think twice or thrice because it is quite basic well can handle the rest

Here in this book are the essentials of mastering chess play. Lasker divides his book in the principles of opening play, attack, defense and endgame play with illustrated games to show how strategic principles are to be used. This book is not large but it is very complete. The principles are easy to understand and apply. There power is developed through higher and higher levels of practice. It is believed that there have only been five geniuses in chess, Emanuel Lasker, Capablanca, Morphy, Bobby Fisher and Alexander Alkehine. One can do no better than studying the brilliant games of these masters and their writings but I particulary recommend the works of Emanuel Lasker. His manuevering and techniques are very subtle but very powerful. Common Sense in chess is one of his better books and is an excellent course for those who know how to play the game. It is not a beginners course, but if you know the elements of the game, a thourough study and playing through the games can lead to chess mastery.

This book was terrible. Boring and rambling, it seems more like an effort to cash in on people's current interest in angels than anything that could really help you. I found it answered none of life's questions for me.

Emmanuel's books are some of the best books I have found which contain real, deep spiritual truths. They present a vision of humanity and God which is totally compassionate and loving. The question is not whether these books are true. The question is whether you are ready for this truth? Many similar books are hard to digest, but this series is not. Emmanuel means "God with us," and God is truly in this series. I strongly recommend this series if you are a seeker of Truth.

Who is the "Angel"? You are. That is Emmanuel's message. The book helps you to recognize your own divinity. It is definitely the same voice as the first two, but this time Emmanuel is more pressing ... maybe it is his last book. All three of his books are on my nightstand. Many, many times I have had a question, I open one of the books randomly and find the answer there.

hello, i am on my 3rd year of french(texas) i have to say that i have had the hardest time this year because of this text book. it lacks in grammer and i feel i dont learn very much. with the exception of cultural information...which is interesting, but i am interested in pursuing french as a possible career option, and i feel that this book is not preparing me for a future in fluent french speaking.

Bonjour! I am in my first year of French, and I have found Allez, Viens to be one of the most thorough foreign-language textbooks that I have ever studied with. Cultural notes and useful expressions are highlighted to grab the students's attention, and each chapter studies a different francophone (French-speaking) country. I would highly recommend this book.

Allez Viens is a well planned, comprehensive text book. I was exposed to it in my first year of teaching French and plan to use it until the end of my career.

Why is there no one single illustrated book dedicated to the Kings/Queens of France? What a shame that the Royal family of France cannot be portrayed in a positive light.

WE NEED MORE BOOKS ON FRENCH HISTORY!!!! JUST ONE PLAIN BOOK, WITH ALL THE HISTORY OF FRANCE IN IT, WOULD MAKE MY DAY. THANKYOU.

This book is great in that you get to see medieval life through the eyes of those who were there as the entries are all taken from actual texts of the time. Each entry is one to two pages long, so this is a good book to read a little bit at a time (it gets tedious if you try to read it straight through all at once).

The illustrations are wonderful, in color, and on every page. However, they don't necessarily relate to the text on that page, so it's better to read through the book, then go through it again and look at the illustrations separately.

The book is also quite beautiful, with a full color picture on the actual book cover (underneath the protective paper cover) and a ribbon attached to the binding to keep your place. The illustrations, beauty, and first rate construction of this book in themselves justify the price of the book (I'm surprised they don't charge more).

The "Complaint of Virgins" entry in the editorial review is actually about a girl who is the youngest in an impoverished family and does not have a dowry and therefore will likely never be able to marry.

I bought this book because I am becoming involved in a medieval reenactment group and I wanted to get a feel for what life was like in those times. I gave this book a 3-star rating based on its mass appeal - it will not appeal to everyone. If you're looking for light entertainment and amusing anecdotes, this book is not for you. You will probably find most of the entries a bit on the dull side unless you're into the history of the time period. But, if you are looking for something that will give you insight into the culture and customs of medieval europe, then you will enjoy this book.

A beautifully presented book. As a calligrapher I found it an excellent resource for both medieval quotes and illustrations. The layout makes it a very appealling book just to be able to dip into. The quotes cover a range of topics from the amusing to grotesque and give an insight into medieval life.

This book fails to impress the intellectual of a reader who has a prior introduction to Islam or it's twentieth century resurgance. Although it does trace out the roots of the present day Muslim attitudes to the Islamic theology that surfaced in the twentieth century, it fails to signify this relativity to any degree. Ideas are repeated with a monotonous frequency which diminshes their collective efficiency and understanding. Strictly written from the Sunni Muslim fundamentalist movement's prespective, it does little justice to other sects of Islam - at times even specifically branding Shia's as heretics.

forcefully written, sharp, profound analysis of Fuindamentalism

The French title for this book is translated "Saint-Simon and the Court System." Neither title is correct. Le Roy Ladurie has written two books. The first six chapters is a discussion of social hierarchy as interpreted by the duc de Saint-Simon looking at the court of Louis XIV. The last two chapters are a history of the Regency (1715-23). The first chapters contain no narrative history except for a biography of Saint-Simon and the last two contain no social analysis but are a discussion of the political history of the Regency.

To understand much of Le Roy Ladurie's books, the reader should know that the French education system for potential university students emphasizes on exams something called "explication de texte." The student is given a quote by someone (a politician or writer) and maybe a date. The student is expected in an essay to identify the person making the quote and that person's importance, the importance of the quote, and how it relates to history or literature or philosophy or whatever in order to demonstrate the student's knowledge and education. This book like many of Le Roy Ladurie's books is an extended explication de texte. The text in this case is thousands of pages of the memoirs of Louis de Rouvroy, duc de Saint-Simon (1675-1755).

Saint-Simon lived at the court of Louis XIV centering on Versailles starting in 1691 until the king's death in 1715. Then, when his friend the duc d'Orléans became Regent for the five-year-old Louis XV, Saint-Simon had an insider's view of court politics until his friend's death in 1723. Shortly thereafter Saint-Simon was told to leave the court. He was a has-been at age 48 or, more precisely, a never-was. His most important job had been as Ambassador to Spain to negotiate a marriage between Louis XV and a Spanish princess, a marriage that never took place. Some fifteen years after leaving court Saint-Simon began writing his memoirs.

Saint-Simon was an aristocratic prig, a puritanical gossip who believed that, as a duke and a peer of Frence, his class of people deserved the highest honors and positions within French politics after the royal family and its relatives. He described people of lesser social origin as vile nobodies, people from nowhere, and people who did not deserve their positions. He refused to believe that talent could or should allow people to rise in society. He dismissed immorality and corruption, believed illegitimate children were immoral because they were the products of immorality, detested the Jesuits, and despised Louis XIV because the king never granted Saint-Simon his due. The king in one of only three conversations he had with the little duke told Saint-Simon that he had to learn to hold his tongue. Louis XIV could not abide people who chattered incessantly, criticized others openly, or talked about people behind their backs. The king would never pick someone for a position who had so little self-control. Le Roy Ladurie does not mention this story.

Nor does Le Roy Ladurie mention that there exists another source for the end of Louis XIV's reign, the Journal of the Marquis de Dangeau who kept a daily record of events at court from 1684 until his death in 1719. Saint-Simon began his preparations for writing his memoirs by annotating Dangeau's journal, especially anytime the marquis mentions someone. The little duke would then write out as much as he could remember about that person. Although Dangeau has never been published in English, Saint-Simon has had several editions, all of them abridged. The best French editions of his work are thousands of pages long with annotations to explain events and identify people or Saint-Simon's unusual vocabulary. The little duke's style is said to have influenced Proust with its niggling details and loving idiosyncratic descriptions.

Saint-Simon's memoirs are filled with the names of over 10,000 people. They are like an extended phone book with long descriptions of this person or that while the plot takes a back seat. Saint-Simon was an intellectual aristocrat who knew lots of people and, like the Bourbons, he learned nothing and forgot nothing. His memoirs are his revenge for every slight, real or imagined. Yet, in some ways they are the only published source for a lot of the history of this forgotten period of French history. Le Roy Ladurie, however, ignores the history of France from 1691 until 1715 and then gives us eighty pages of political history for the Regency.

Le Roy Ladurie is mesmerized by Saint-Simon's discussion of cabals at court in 1709. He wrote an article on this section of the memoirs over 25 years ago. He repeated his analysis in a series of lectures at Johns Hopkins twenty years ago. Simply stated by 1709 according to Saint-Simon, Louis XIV's court had three groupings: the king's courtiers, his son's courtiers, and his adult grandson's courtiers. Yet, like Saint-Simon, Le Roy Ladurie goes into overtime explaining this person's relation to that one, and how the whole mess worked. The fact that people gathered around the heir to the throne or the heir's heir is not news. It was normal behavior in a monarchical system. Le Roy Ladurie's mistake is to think that the snapshot given in 1709 has an existence that extended into the Regency. Thus, these groups seem like political parties with a life of their own.

Louis XIV had the misfortune to survive both his son who died in 1711 and his grandson who died in 1712. In addition, some of the major personalities in these factions also died. Yet, Le Roy Ladurie goes on about this cabal and that having to be placated by the Regent with no evidence from Saint-Simon to support the claim that these groups maintained any cohesion after 1709 much less sfter the deaths of their leaders.

This book is filled with typos as well as mistakes by the author. For example, he discusses the first known writing of Saint-Simon coming from the death of Louis XIV's daughter-in-law in 1689, except that she died in 1690. He has people living for years after they had died, repeats in the text what he has said in the footnotes previously. I gave this book three stars because it has some value but it is not an exciting read except for those of us who have an interest in this period of French history, one that was recently called "The Black Hole of French History" because so little research or writing has been done on it. In that sense, Le Roy Ladurie has made a significant contribution.

Gossip and intrigue abound in this brilliant new book on the Court of Louis XIV. Leroy Ladurie is simply one of the smartest historians around. He looks at the Sun King's multi-layered and busy court through the lens of the Duke of Saint-Simon (1675-1755), a courtier and phenomenal chronicler of court life who left thousands of pages describing the intrigues, personalities, activities and gossip of life at Versailles. The result is a fascinating portrait of life under Louis XIV, a life driven by hierarchy, rank, and blood. Great book about obsessive, ruthless social climbing at its worst and best.