i could not finsih this book because the author did not decribe autism weell at all.

I just finished reading this book. It times it got confusing but it is pretty good.

This children's story has been written for the family who has been affected by autism. No, it doesn't explain autism itself, but does describe those effects very well on the entire family unit. Cute story, that leads to hope for those affected. I enjoyed the author's exploration of the brother's relationship.

As luck would have it it appears that I'm reading Mr. Parker's books in reverse order, but I'm finding it doesn't much matter. So far I've only read two, and each had a different leading chracter, but the writing style is very similar and very easy to read. The chapters are short, some might think a bit too short, but I was always driven to read "just one more." :D

In my opinion the writing is simple, but I haven't found the character development "one dimensional" as some have observed. I feel that I know the characters pretty well even though they're introduced in relatively few words. For me, it makes the book that much more entertaining, and certainly less work.

This really isn't a murder mystery, but rather it's a "who's doing it" - the story unfolds before your eyes, and even when you think you know what's going to happen, you'll still find plenty of surprises along the way.

I truly recommend this book, and I already have another Jesse Stone book on order:D

Is it me, or are the Spenser novels getting a little stale? Parker seems to have started telling the same story over and over again, from Crimson Joy on up to the present. Spenser always knows what to do to make things come out perfectly. Does anyone remember the early Spenser, who didn't always know what to do? The Spenser of "Mortal Stakes" (a brilliant detective novel) who ambushed and murdered the villian and his cohort so that his clients could get out from beneath their shadow? I miss the Spenser who who committed morally suspect acts in order to fulfull his own personal code. And then came Jesse Stone, Parker's alternate protagonist. He's troubled, he's flawed, he's an incomplete human being trying to find a new place for himself. He doesn't always know what to do, and he has potential to mess up. Parker was on the verge of rediscovering depth of character in "Night Passage" and he's found it with "Trouble In Paradise." In the villain Macklin (among others...all the criminals in this book are amazing) we see a character who makes sense because his motivations are in place: he's greedy, he wants money, and he downright enjoys being a criminal. Further, Parker shows his incredible understanding of small town Massachusetts dynamics, politics, and corruption in the Jesse Stone books. He truly is on the verge of becoming great again as author. Give him a chance.

"Trouble in Paradise" is the second Jesse Stone novel by Robert B. Parker. Stone is police chief of Paradise, Massachusetts, and a former Los Angeles cop. James Macklin, along with his girlfriend, Faye, plan to loot Stiles Island and steal from the rich people there. He hires 5 tough guys to help him pull off the crime. Chapters alternate from the crooks to Jesse, who re-kindles a romance with his ex-wife, Jenn. Stone also solves an arson case. As the crime on Stiles Island unfolds, the 2 storylines come together. I really like the character of Jesse Stone, and I really enjoyed reading this novel. Robert B. Parker is at the top of his form with "Trouble in Paradise."

This little creationist book in disguise as a paleontology book is a dangerous piece of creationist babble. Not intended for those with weak minds.

TO THE 1ST REVIEWER -- OPEN YOUR MIND! Evolution has no evidence to back it's theory and that's all it is! Peace

Parker, a classic hard-guy and professional thief, sets out to rob a U.S. Air Force finance office. Various misfits and ex-cons comprise his crew. The plan goes sour, but Parker prevails. The story gets unbelievable and dumb about midway through, but the characters are interesting enough to keep you hooked. A good airplane or beach read--fun, quick, and inconsequential.

Don't get me wrong-I love Richard Stark's (Donald E. Westlake's) Parker novels. It's just that I find his stories about actor/thief Alan Grofield to be lesser efforts-although still better than 99% of anybody else's suspense output. And this "Parker" novel seems to concentrate as much, if not more, on Grofield's adventures. Parker is hired by the Outfit to bust up an independent island casino. He's approached by federal agents who want the casino's owner brought in for arrest. All of which makes for a dynamite Parker novel with a little too much Grofield.

A bland title may give the impression of yet another retired government official indicting U.S. policy in the Middle East; but Parker uses "miscalculation" in a more precise way, meaning "a policy decision which goes awry because those making it did not foresee properly what the results would be." He explores three case histories from this angle: the Soviet-Syrian-Egyptian mistakes of May 1967, the U.S.-Israeli failure to hear Soviet threats to introduce troops into Egypt in February 1970, and the U.S. insistence on putting through the Lebanese-Israeli agreement in May 1983. The latter two studies do not sustain the weight Parker imposes on them. In the 1970 case, for example, it is true that Washington and Jerusalem failed to interpret a Soviet warning correctly, but that was a minor, almost routine sort of error. Parker's analysis comes into its own in the first study, however, a well-researched, insightful analysis of one of modern history's great enigmas-Why did the Six Day War take place? He draws on published accounts, interviews, and personal experience to establish the significance of such subtleties as the relationship between Gamal Abdel Nasser and his marshall, 'Abd al-Hakim 'Amr; he works out the intricacies of timing; and he shows how events acquired a momentum of their own. Until the archives open up fully, this probably rates as the last word on the outbreak of war in June 1967. As such, it provides a fascinating entrée into the many-mirrored world of Middle Eastern politics.

Middle East Quarterly, June 1994

This book gave me some fresh material to incorporate into a leadership program that I was creating. These aren't fun and games type of activities. They seem to be geared more toward assessing a group and getting information from the group to measure skill-set. This book would probably be more appropriate for a manager to use with his/her own group, compared to an instructor/student setting.

This book is roughly 800 pages ostensibly about the installation and configuration of Windows NT 4.0. Well, it isn't. The publisher -- QUE -- true to form, has pumped it up with useless verbage about unrelated topics so that of the 800 pages only 160 are even dedicated to installing Windows NT. I was hoping to find information useful to multi-OS installations. This sub-topic was given about 2 pages which just indicated that the boot manager should solve all of your problems.

So what you have here is a fat book which is mostly filler. The brief collection of pages that were on-topic were hopelessly weak and over-simplified. Also, this book was published in 1996 and is now hopelessly outdated as regards developments in networking and distributed computing environments.

Do not buy this book unless you need kindling. I threw mine out. Forty bucks down the drain.

Very light weight. No new information, simply defines terms and offers little advise

When Microsoft launched Windows 95 they set in train a massive hardware upgrade as users discovered that run in the MS lexicon does not mean the same thing as the definition in Webster or Oxford. Those with a penchant for conspiracy theories will, no doubt, have made up their respective minds that it was all a plot to make Windows users NT-ready. Ready availability of affordable Pentium processors and the falling cost of memory have made NT attractive to PC users who have networked older equipment with modern Pentium-equipped systems to share peripherals within the home or office.

NT is a powerful system with many features and options. One cannot simply load it in the same, casual way as DOS. Planning is needed to determine the best configuration for a particular setup. Fine tuning is not just an optional activity for enthusiasts; it is mandatory if the system is to work effectively (or at all).

This book is about installation and configuration and is, as the title says, a handbook. It is written for experienced users who want to appreciate the issues involved in the installation and configuration of NT as a server or on a workstation. It is divided into logical parts; installation, administration, adding hardware, managing and tuning sub-systems, networking and communications, configuring Internet services, and customising a system.

Even though twelve authors have each written separate chapters, the style and language is consistent throughout. They have managed to write in a way that avoids technical jargon, but does not give the impression of talking down to their readers. Anyone wanting to put NT to serious use for a local network or comms server (BBS or Internet) may want more specific resources, but this is a good launching place.

For some the Handbook may be all they need, but those who require more technical information will (unless already expert) benefit from the good foundation Jim Boyce and his team have provided.

None of the authors is employed by MS, so there is no hesitation in mentioning OS/2 or using other dirty words. Configuring NT to live with other operating systems is explained along with installation over a previous version of NT or other existing operating system.

Adding and modifying hardware is an ongoing task with most server setups; the authors deal specifically with multimedia devices (sound cards etc.), modems, and printers and fonts.

Readers who have no experience of network or system administration will find the discussion of administration issues clear and helpful. An introductory chapter describes the fundamentals of system administration. Following chapters talk about how servers are administered and resources shared, controlling users, and the all-important registry maintenance.

A section on networking and communications has chapters on optimising NT in various environments, including Novell and UNIX, and the use of remote access services. For those who intend using NT to run Internet services there are chapters on using Internet programs, setting up an Internet server, installing Windows messaging, TCP/IP, and implementing a firewall.

Sub-systems such as memory, file systems, data security, and hardware configuration have to be managed and require fine tuning. A section covers what the authors call "critical sub-systems." I found the discussion well presented and easy to follow.

Some companion CDs are best employed as coasters for the ubiquitous coffee mug. In this case the publishers have provided a very useful collection that can save hours of on-line time. The CD contains a formidable array of drivers, system tuning tools, Internet client/server tools, 32-bit graphics, e-mail enhancers, and other utilities.

A well-designed and well-written handbook, this title is well worth looking at by anyone with a serious interest in NT, either by way of assessing its suitability for a particular task, or as a manual for new installers. It does what the title says, provides the information needed for installation and configuration. It does that well and comprehensively, and comes with a library of utilities and system tools.

Reviewed by Major Keary

For those who have worked with or in Russia know better than this book. There is little reason to be optimistic about Russia. This book was published two years before anyone who invested in Russia basically lost their shirt. All the people who were to move Russia forward ended up being little more than con-artists and thieves. You can do the math yourself. What would an investiment in the Russian stock market in 1996 have returned? What would an investment in the US market have returned? You want some advice about Russia? Everyone is out to take your money. Period. Stay away from Russia at all costs.

The Coming Russian Boom is a warning to those who sit idle thinking that they have figured out the great mystery that is Russia. It gives us solid understanding of the economic health of Russia and why there should be optimism about its future.