Personally I have bought many books about C++ Builder and this one interested me a lot. I really consider this book a reference one, not one for learning the programming aspects of C++ Builder. Most of the examples perform wonderful things, but they are done using a very low level API programming with the aid of the VCL components. Examples are very specific to accomplish a single thing like morphing an image to another or making a little animation inside the form's caption (believe it, it's possible). You have the source code there, but unless you understand the API, you will take things explained there by faith. If you are a beginner, wait some time to buy this book, if you are an expert go ahead and buy it

I will recommend this book to the people knowing C++ and the api well if you need to make windows-applications and would like to use Builder to do it. During my final year project, this book has been absolutely essential. I've found very nice solutions to advanced problems. Without it, I would have had severe trouble. Although it covers alot, it doesn't cover everything - there is still need for some fiddeling around. Conclusion : highly recommended for intermediate to advanced programmers.

Not many books are available for Borland C++ Builder (compared to MS Visual C++ and MFC). And as there's not so much to choose from, one has to be happy with what exists.

This book has an interesting form that I personally didn't find in other computer software related books - it's divided into problems and answers. Each problem-answer consists of a question, exact programming steps to solution and explanation of the solution.

The book covers many programming topics, like forms, windows controls, internet, database, custom controls, etc., etc. All solutions are presented in such way that you can freely combine them together. You just implement all that would suit your particular needs in your projects. The book is well structured, so you can find what you're looking for easily.

I find the book VERY readable and easy to understand (I have 2 years of Visual C++ and MFC programming practice and have recently switched to BCB) and I find myself browsing through the pages just reading the contents "offline" many times. And every time I run into something cool, something that will just have to be implemented in my next project...

There are few examples, where not all code is covered in the book - you can get it complete on the included CD. I also found some examples that are based on older version of BCB (I use BCB4), so I had to find the corresponding commands in the menu. But nonetheless I still think it's really a good book and I only wish every software would have a similar how-to book...

Written in the 15th Century and directed towards monks, this is a devotional for Christian living and Monastic life. While noting the time period helps give depth to the historical backdrop of when Thomas was writing this book, it is perhaps more important to know the audience. The intended audience for The Imitation of Christ was monks. This is obvious in the text and it should be kept in mind while reading this work.

This highly influential work has a very simple message: live like Christ. Presented in this book, it is a very strict message. Thomas takes a very strict interpretation of following Christ and the message is very much rooted in the idea of works. It is the actions that one must perform, and not so much the inner state (though he does stress that the inner state is important). This would be a difficult message to take or to give, but again, we must consider the audience: monks living in a monastery. They must live a harsher life and because of their vows, this devotional makes perfect sense.

This can be read as a historical document in Christianity or as a devotional. Either way, one can find great value and and some illumination of the words of Christ through this volume.

Thomas a Kempis was medival monk and priest (1380-1471) who served as chronicler of the monastery at Mt. St. Agnes. During his long life of scholarship, he wrote several biographies of church fathers and a number of devotional works. The "Imitation of Christ" remains his most famous work and the one that has best stood the test of time. Indeed, one of the wonderful things about this work is that it reminds us that the life of the mind is not a creature of the Enlightenment. Even during the so-called Dark Ages there were brilliant scholars with a wide knowledge of both scripture and philosophy. Reflecting its vibrant insight into the human condition, the "Imitation of Christ" remains influential on both sides of the Reformation divide. It reportedly was, for example, one of John Wesley's favorite devotionals.

The "Imitation of Christ" is divided into 4 books, each undertaking a basic theme for development. They are, respectively, the Spiritual Life, the Inner Life, Inward Consolation, and the Blessed Sacrament (i.e., the Eucharist). In turn, each book is sub-divided into numerous chapters, each a page or two long. All of which makes the "Imitation of Christ" a useful book for daily devotionals. One can skip around freely within the book, dipping in as the mood strikes. Yet, I think one is well-served by reading it through at least once. Only then does one see Thomas' thought in its fully-developed form. Do be sure to get a good translation. I am fond of the one by Leo Sherley-Price.

Thomas a Kempis was medival monk and priest (1380-1471) who served as chronicler of the monastery at Mt. St. Agnes. During his long life of scholarship, he wrote several biographies of church fathers and a number of devotional works. The "Imitation of Christ" remains his most famous work and the one that has best stood the test of time. Indeed, one of the wonderful things about this work is that it reminds us that the life of the mind is not a creature of the Enlightenment. Even during the so-called Dark Ages there were brilliant scholars with a wide knowledge of both scripture and philosophy. Reflecting its vibrant insight into the human condition, the "Imitation of Christ" remains influential on both sides of the Reformation divide. It reportedly was, for example, one of John Wesley's favorite devotionals.

The "Imitation of Christ" is divided into 4 books, each undertaking a basic theme for development. They are, respectively, the Spiritual Life, the Inner Life, Inward Consolation, and the Blessed Sacrament (i.e., the Eucharist). In turn, each book is sub-divided into numerous chapters, each a page or two long. All of which makes the "Imitation of Christ" a useful book for daily devotionals. One can skip around freely within the book, dipping in as the mood strikes. Yet, I think one is well-served by reading it through at least once. Only then does one see Thomas' thought in its fully-developed form. Do be sure to get a good translation. I am fond of the one by Leo Sherley-Price.

Maybe it's some kind of deliberate autodeconstructionism or god-knows-what, but this book is a poorly-edited and generally incoherent biography of a great editor who prized coherence. Ross would've been irked by it. The intent seems to have been to do something vaguely chronological, but "vague" is the key word here. Different chapters often cover the same ground in similar ways. The author will often mention something as if it were news, but the reader, if awake, will remember the same event having been covered in greater depth three chapters back. It's a mess. Kunkel is also fond of overusing idioms; five or six times, "foo 'allows as how' bar", and not in quotes, either. These things lunge forth out of otherwise normal prose. It's weird and distracting. After a few iterations, I really began to wonder if the book was edited at all. Another irritating little fact is that while there are photographs of most of the major people mentioned, they're scattered around almost arbitrarily. Wolcott Gibbs makes an appearance, and we're left wondering what he looks like for a hundred pages or so until Liebling or somebody turns up, accompanied by a very nice photograph of Gibbs. Sometimes the photos precede their subjects, leaving one wondering who these people are.

Of course, I did keep reading it. The subject matter is groovy enough to make up for the lousy execution, and Kunkel makes a valuable case for Ross as a serious person; not an idiot-savant, not a clown, but someone who got by on ability more than luck. Ross as human rather than cartoon? Why, yes. It's about time. There's also some fun coverage of Walter Winchell, which explains why Matt Drudge admires the guy so much -- Winchell was inaccurate, irresponsible, and vindictive, too :)

This wonderful biography tells the story of Harold Ross, The New Yorker's founding editor, and his making and management of this magazine from 1925 until his death in 1951. In the book, Kunkel often takes the position, popular in Ross's time, that Ross's success was improbable, since he was, basically, a tramp newspaperman with a poor education, before he came to New York to build his career in publishing. But throughout his life, Ross made great professional (not personal) choices. And, he had a formidable intellect and curiosity, terrific taste, integrity, and an eye for talent.

In part, Ross was underestimated in his lifetime because he had the unfashionable style in the office of a neurotic worrier. Here's Ogden Nash describing the publisher on the job: "His expression is always that of a man who has just swallowed a bug. Once a day at least he calls you into his office and says, "This magazine is going to hell." He never varies the phrase. Then he says, "We haven't got any organization. I'm licked. We've got too many geniuses around and nobody to take any responsibility. He has smoked five cigarettes while saying that. Then he takes a drink of water, prowls up and down, cries "My God!" loudly and rapidly, and you go out and try to do some work." A captivating book.

This book is a solid and readable biography not only of a man but of a magazine, for The New Yorker strikes many of us as a living entity in an age in which most magazines are stiffs. The most interesting part of it is the actual creation of the magazine, from the initial prospectus (still accurate of the current mag in many ways) to the gradual assembling of a poorly-paid but nonpareil team of writers nurtured by one of the most eccentric editors ever to helm a major publication. The rest is also interesting, if ultimately rather sad. Ross came from a modest background and got his feet wet in military publications. He was never easy to be around, and often bullied writers and friends and wives (several became ex-writers, -friends and -wives) over the course of his life. He struggled financially most of his life, and was cheated out of a fair amount of money by a personal secretary who committed suicide rather than face the truth. Yet he brought out the best in a cadre of brilliant writers and artists (Ross never thought of cartoonists who did interior drawings and covers as less than that), and the magazine, no matter what you think of it, changed what one can do and be. By the time that Ross died, he had become a legend. Kunkel does a fair amount of debunking of that legend, while making clear why Ross accomplished what he did. The overall view is one of guarded admiration of its central figure. The development is thematic rather than strictly chronological, so there are variations on certain themes as the story progresses, but I wasn't bothered by it. The book doesn't seem long despite its length. I recommend it for anyone interested in the people behind one of the publishing phenomenons of the modern era. (My subject line is something Ross said when complaints surfaced that The New Yorker was getting too liberal in its epithets. It's related to the statement in the original prospectus that The New Yorker is "not for the old lady from Dubuque".)

This book needs a lot of basic editing. It is littered with conspicuous and outrageously bad syntax and grammer errors. Page after page I encountered missing periods, missing commas, run-on sentences, and awkward sentence structures. Frankly, I find this type of sloppy editing and writing to be intolerable.

The author's premise for the book's primary story theme is based on his dream encounter with a ghostly Native American. He has this encounter after a late night coyote shooting spree with an AK-47. Besides being totally repulsed by the shooting incident I was struck by the utter amateurishness of the writing style.

I am very interested in this period of history and, in particular, trying to educate myself on the Iroquois Confederacy. Unfortunately, this book was a waste of my time and money.

The Cornplanter Chronicles is a great read! As with all of Mr. Beck's novels, he takes you through the story like he is right next to you retelling it. The story of Cornplanter and his people is fascinating, hard to put down, and a look into a forgotten and rarely told piece of indian history. You have got to get this book!

Cornplanter has been a local legend in western Pennsylvania for years. Mr. Beck, with his tale of the legendary Seneca Chieftain, makes him come alive on the pages of the book. This is a book I could not put down once I started. It is an unusual treatment and an interesting way to re-learn the history we have all either forgotten or never learned.

This book is presented beautifully. It is a hardback and a real keeper. It is a story I will read and re-read in the years to come. It is in an honored place on my bookshelf.

An interesting tale of the foibles of middle american crime and investigation. The author made a commendable attempt to negotiate the innumerable avenues of crime-related documentation in an effort to expose the potentially true criminals in this case. Unfortunately, the overall flow of the work seemed to suffer from the tedious reproduction of transcripts and interviews that the author, apparently, diligently researched. The sections filled with the author's positing and supposition were much more enjoyable reads. The audience is left to wonder, after such obvious suggestion, why not name names and bring the culprits to justice?

This is one of the most fascinating books I have ever read. I literally could not put it down. As the author details the police investigation, you will be absolutely appalled by the extent of the corruption and inadequacies within the law enforcement agencies investigating this case. At one point during the investigation, a hair actually grows roots while being stored as "evidence"! Despite threats made against Mr. Beck and his family, he continued with his own investigaton so that the public could be made aware of the injustice done to both Jay Buckley and the Wilson family. It's a shame that the true murderer will never have to pay for taking a beautiful mother away from her husband and three young children.

As a native of the area in which Kathy Wilson lived and died I was interested in anything that would shed light on her disappearance and death. I was led to believe that the police apprehended the murderer and a slick lawyer got him off. Mr. Beck's story shows that is not true.

I was particularly interested in the new information he was able to uncover using the actual police files. I could tell this went from a labor of love to an obsession but his writing held my attention. It was one of those books I could not put down even though I thought I had some prior knowledge of the case. That was not the fact. I, like a lot of other people, had been misled.

The writer and teller of this story shows how the law enforcement people framed an innocent man. They used a sixteen year old who wasn't all that bright to begin with. Then when the whole thing blows up in their faces at trial, they go on about their business and ignore the victims of this unsolved crime. I see this as a story about the system at its worst.

I've read this book and have started to read it again. There is so much in it I want to retain it all. This one is a keeper.

Native Son is a very deep book that explores the race relations (or lack of them) in Chicago in the 1940s. A black twenty-year old named Bigger Thomas accidentally kills a prominent white woman and then tries to cover it up. Wright goes deeply into the feelings of Bigger, mostly in regard to his attitude toward the whites. Bigger has been so oppressed by the whites that his major feelings are hate and fear. Native Son really made me think about how hard it was for blacks back then and, to some extent, even now. The book is very depressing to read because Bigger is such a sad character. He has no options in life, so after his accidental murder, he's almost happy because now something is happening to him. He's finally the center of attention, and he matters in the world. The parts where he covers up the murder, the reporters find the dead girl, and the police's chase of him through the streets and apartments of Chicago are very exciting. However, the rest of the book focuses mainly on Bigger's emotions, and gets a little boring. The best part about the book is how the author, speaking through Bigger's lawyer, explains how the oppression of blacks has made all blacks hate and fear whites, forcing Bigger to murder. This attitude is much different than the one expressed in To Kill A Mockingbird, by Harper Lee. While that book has a hopeful outlook on race relations, Native Son has a much more negative viewpoint. Wright feels that the oppression and dehumanization of blacks has made it so that blacks and whites will never treat each other as they would members of their own race. I recommend this book to anyone looking for a long book that isn't easy to read but really makes one think.

Native Son is perhaps the best book that I have ever read. I can not directly relate to this book, because i have not been exposed to the conditions that are present in this book. However, I can imagine, being an African-American myself, what it was like during the time described in Native Son. In reading this book, I have definately gained an appreciation for the present and for the conditions that I live in. It has also given me a greater apppreciation for literature. Through Native Son, Richard Wright addresses the injustices that African-Americans endured during the 1930's. In reading the book, one must understand that Wright is not trying to portray whites as racist or as villains. He is simply trying to show the graveness of black people's condition and oppression. The purpose of this book is to show the black man's struggle to give meaning to his life despite living in a prejudiced society. He illustrates a troubled man's fear, flight, and fate. Bigger Thomas, the main character, represents the struggle of the black man. He represents the black man that refuses to be tamed by white society. He is an outsider, who, through his "trials" and tribulations, defines his life, finds his place in the world, and establishes his equality. Bigger, however, acheives these goals through violence, because he is surrounded by it; it is all he knows. This character makes up only one of millions of Biggers out their who revolt against the injustices of society. They are the products of American society, and therefore fit their names: "native sons."

Native Son is one of the best books of this century. Richard Wright is one of those rare authors who can dwell into the human psyche of the African-American and provide the reader with a clear understanding of that person's inner turmoil in white America. At first I hated Bigger for commiting those atrocious crimes. I wondered why a person would commit such heinous act when he was offered a chance to rehabilitate himself. But as I read further I came to understand that that Bigger would never become the true person he aspired to be because of those invisible chains that bounded his consciousness. One section depicted Bigger's true feelings:if all our skins were peeled off, blacks and whites would be the same. This book should be a required reading in all middle schools in America.

I love Thomas Hardy's characters because he allows them to be fallible, allows them to be unduly influenced by the rigid thinking of the time in which they live. They make bad decisions, and suffer for them, and we suffer along with them. How refreshing!

This book is incredibly rich, and there would be much to discuss in a class or book group. I actually think one of the most interesting characters is Alec d'Urbervilles. He is utterly contemptible, of course, but he goes through such changes in the book that he's fascinating to watch. A great bad guy.

Not surprisingly, Tess's and Angel's theme, the Double Standard one, shows up all over the place. I caught 3/4 of Sweet Charity on TV last night, remember that one with Shirley McClaine? Great dance numbers. She confesses her past in a fit of passion, and guess what happens? A scene certainly as heart-wrenching as the one in the crumbling d'Urbervilles mansion.

If you love classics, what are you waiting for? It's worth it, as are Hardy's other novels. If you are new to this sort of thing, reading it for a course or a class, you have a treat in store. Happy reading.

I'm many years out of college and thought I should start reading some more of the classics. Previous favorites of mine have been The Sound and the Fury, Jane Eyre, and Pride and Prejudice. I saw Tess of the D'Urbervilles on my sister's bookshelf and for about a year I considered reading it. Finally, I picked it up and began. Wow! I read it in about three days. I never expected I would feel so much by reading this book. I cried when she baptized Sorrow herself. Her concerns that he be buried in the churchyard and her efforts to ensure he was were touching. I wanted to help Tess Durbeyfield. I thought she was a very complex character--she was sweet and unworldly but she wasn't actually stupid. And she was strong in many ways--for example, her family relied on Tess for so many things--eventually even their support. In fact, I hated her family for not working harder and making their own sacrifices. All the burden was on poor Tess. I also wanted to shake some sense into Angel. He really did wrong by Tess--although he eventually realizes this, it comes too late. The only thing I really did not care for was the sudden inclusion of a minor character (who we met earlier)into the end of the book and the implication that she would play an important role in the future of a major character. I barely knew this minor character and NOBODY could compare to Tess of the D'Urbervilles. If you are reading this to find a good book, ignore the negative reviews by high-school students and buy this book NOW. It's unforgettable.

What a wonderful piece of literature, and quite a liberal (read: feminist) story for the time period it comes from! Not only are the characters well-drawn and utterly flawed (just like real humans) but the main plot reads as timeless.

The heroine (Tess) takes most of her life as it is thrown at her. When she finally decides to take some small measure of control of her fate, it is her very womanhood - and the lack of choice accompanying it - that is slapped back in her face.

A great love story in many respects, in the end the true love here is Tess' love of herself (and the reader's love for her), and her unwillingness to be a victim her entire life.

Thankfully, you'll find no happy endings in this book. What you will find is a story written by an early feminist, and characters that will stay with you forever.

12 Feb 2000

Dear Sirs,

A landmark in the writing of banker history for Citibank, a nation's most influential commercial and investment banking.

After reviewed the book, it's my gracious to know the name of National City Bank be renamed to Citibank and Citicorp by Mr. Walter Wrision? The Author do not express further the name of Citibank achieve from? Why must Mr. Wrision renamed the bank to Citibank and Citicorp group and not other names? it the renamed name significance to the background of the center of the nation's banking system?

Thank You

Harry Tan

Although some claim you can't find a decent one volume Bible commentary, I've got an accredited B.A. in Theology, and I say you certainly can. The contributors of this commentary are from the highest levels of academia and present material worthy for the pulpit and pew alike.

The DL series was a huge leap forward for TSR - these modules featured a new emphasis on drama and storytelling that made the gaming MUCH more fun and involved for the PCs and the DM. Of course, at heart, being TSR modules from the 80s, they're still dungeon crawls! In this chapter, the heroes (trailed by hundreds of very angry dragonlord minions!) must flee into the Kharolis Peaks, seeking the legendary dwarven city of Thorbardin. As they are the PCs'only hope, it's rather grim to think that the place is probably a fairytale, and even if it does exist, no one knows where... a dark adventure for levels 6-8.