Okay, I have never read this book, but I would like to comment on the short story, Microcosmic God as it has always been one of my favorites. My dad told it as a bed time story when I was younger and I've actually read it several times since then. The story involves a brilliant scientist named Kidder, who has absorbed the sum total of man's knowledge and is frustrated by the fact that he will not live long enough to witness future breakthroughs in technology. The logical solution of course, is for him to create his own race of beings (called Neoterics), with a faster metabolism and shorter lifespan (about 12 days, I think), so that he can observe their evolution and eventually learn from their discoveries. It is truly amazing that Sturgeon is able to pull off this level of scientific arrogance in a realitively succinct and believable manner (after all it is a SHORT story). Can the creation of intelligent life possibly be so simple? Hardly, but I was willing to swallow the premise, because the idea is fascinating and I truly wanted to know how it would turn out. I can easily understand why Kidder would go to such lengths in order to glimpse the future of mankind. Of course, the story also includes an evil banker, Conant, who wants to exploit Kidder's inventions (such as a pill that cures the common cold) for profit, but by far the most absorbing aspect of the plot is the Neoterics themselves. Kidder keeps them in a large covered atrium (they are extremely small) and observes them through a magnifier. While human rights activists would obviously protest Kidder's treatment of the Neoterics (in one instance he lowers the roof of the atrium steadily over a period of time, causing widespead distruction and panic, and waits for them to create a support system out of tinfoil) one can't help being impressed by their resourcefulness and the collective way they respond to every threat. Kidder creates a written language for the Neoterics and begins communicating w/them. It is soon apparent that they believe him to be God. I don't want to ruin the outcome of the story, but I would definitely recommend this as a quick read for anyone, not just science fiction lovers. It explores the themes of faith and mortality in very original way.

In this volume Sturgeon is beginning to hit his stride. Some of these are among the best short stories in SF (e.g. Microcosmic God, Shottle Bop).

In the earlier stories, Sturgeon was still trying to find his ideal voice. Much of the prose was forced, and some rather simple plot devices (especially irony) were common. In this volume, though, he is coming into his own.

The best part of this collection is that he only got better later . . . this is only the second volume and just about every story here is a keeper and the really great ones will stick in your head forever. "The Microcosmic God", "Cargo", "Jumper" and all that type are nothing less than entertaining and at the same time showing you Sturgeon's highly sensative glimpses into the human heart. This guy cared about everyone and understood what made people tick, while some of his stuff might be considered formulaic still at this point, he can't be a genius everytime out and seeing everything in the proper order and context allows you to see his evolution. This entire ten volume series is a blessing, there aren't many writers who we get the chance to see them develop and there aren't that many who deserve this chance, all in all Sturgeon is at the top of the list. Cheers to whoever thought of this idea. Make sure these always stay in print!

Paul Williams' archtectural designs, which are photographed quite beautifully in this survey of his work, are rather varied in style. He ranges from traditional English tudor homes, such as the San Rafael cover photo, to futuristic buildings, such as the building now named Encounter at the Los Angeles airport. His buildings and private homes explore the radical changes in design that have spanned the 20th century.

In 1868 the proposed amendment to Congress, was passed by the Senate to abrogate servitude on the shores of the Americas. Thus, it would seem exceptional to some, that only twenty-eight years later on the West Coast of the same shores had begun the legacy of an African American architect and the ascension of over 3,000 architectural structures. That architect was
Paul R. Williams.
Yet it was known in many circles that descendants of servitude were making strives in many a pursuit and occupation. Scientists, inventors, publishers, congressmen, and diplomats, the list is extensive. However, there is relatively très très peu known about the quality of Paul R. Williams, the architect. His granddaughter, Karen E. Hudson, the director of the PRWs archives, documents a veritable gold-mine of history within the annals of these pages. Although troubled by the "driving while black" phenomena, Paul R. Williams took the Booker T. Washington "bootstrap" premise to heart and created an empire of structures on the West Coast (Los Angeles in particular) and universally.
A Legacy of Style is a collection of Williams' work from the 1920s to the 1960s. Prefacing with a conspectus on his life and continuing with a preliminary from David Gebhard, (architectural historian and curator), that traces PRW from his beginnings and interprets the style and significance of his life's work. Splayed throughout the pages are brief narratives from voluminous articles and books of Williams' writings. Through the photographs, illustrations, captions and dreams, the reader unearths the flavor of this architect's nearly six decades of elegance and polish, signature homes, characteristic PRW curves, sleekly designed molding and particularly his "refinement and high taste". Williams' affinity with the traditional and sensitivity to the modern allowed for a lasting style of moderne classique. Yet his style expands further, from Byzantine to European Gothic, to Colonial to the Pueblo, from Romanesque to the English Tudor, Paul R. Williams envelops it all. In the 1930s, Williams reprised the neoclassic style of the relationship between interior and exterior, as in his Jay Paley residence in Bel Air. With this, the inhabitants would embrace a sense freedom. He was at ease in working with diverse styles and locations, from the Beverly Hills Hotel to the Compton Housing Project.
The advances Williams made despite the impediments would inspire the reader. The skills, such as drawing upside-down at a desk for his clients and developing the psychology of marketing his work were all elements of his craftsmanship, acumen, restraint and his concentration to detail. Being Black, he had faced difficulties that made him a " . . . far better craftsman today than I would be had my course been free." The reader will absorb his thoughts and hopes of being seen as an individual and his metamorphosis of his politicization of "being a Negro".
Unfortunately, Williams was unable to complete some of the wishes he had for building in Nigeria nor did he complete the autobiography of his life, but Hudson fulfills an exquisite task in this preservation. Yes, a little known book that should be in everyone's home is also an essential chronicle for the student of architecture. Paul R. Williams, an exceptional man of character, has left us a legacy of style.

Yasmain Broady-Soya...

Thank you Karen Hudson. Finally, the American public can learn that a great Architect is not just the arrogant Frank L. Wright that abandoned his wife and six children to run off with a client's wife to further practice his art. This book is about a cultured, hard working, creative and civic minded Black American Architect. In overcoming the racial adversity of the twentith century, Mr. Williams produced three times more work than Wright because of the confidence he instilled in his clients as an Architect that cared about their needs first and not his personal wants. Frank L. Wright regarded himself as America's greatest Architect because of his "honest arrogants" and most American Schools of Architecture promote this narrow view. But the American general public deserves better and should know that they have it. And this book illustrates that Mr. Paul Revere Williams, FAIA is by far one of "Our" greatest Architects by virtue of his Honest Integrity. Hence, he stands as a role model for all future American generations. And by that virtue recognition of his work must continue with more books like this and recorded oral histories from persons still alive that knew and worked with him.

This book is really two books in one. On one hand it is an excellent biography. But, it is an interesting look at the homes of surprisingly, Movie Stars from the Golden era of Hollywood.

A movie about Mr. Williams would be far better than the movie the Fountainhead, where an architect name Rouke blows up a large building project because of his hurt arrogant pride. And an American court of law finds him not guilty in the end. Hmmm and the setting for the Fountainhead was New York City. Daaa

There are many books about Wright's arrogants. But the times in America today call for the integrity of Mr. Paul R.Williams to grace the coffee tables and personal libraries of the land.

Conrade C. Hinds, Architect

Clyde Bresee experience as a youth in the South gives us a view that is not shaped by the Southern Culture but comes through as an objective on looker that understood the plight of the slave and the free men. Plantation Life after cotton and war.Priceless.

This book offers a delightful walk through the south of the 1930's. The culture is penetrated through a child's uncluttered horizon. Coupled with a mature sifting of events this book offers wonderful insight into the healing, fragile and unique culture of Charleston. Wonderfully written, this book offers a charming notch of history.

From the New York Times Book Review-- Mr. Bresee is a writer of distinction from whom we must hear more. His prose is transparent, supple and spare; he evokes unhurriedly the smells and textures of the Southern world of his boyhood; his account of the fading landed aristocracy his father worked among is both astringent and forgiving; he is honest in his own baffled hypocrisies over "color." Through the power of Mr. Bresee's writing we travel deep into the heart of a troubled culture and the "unexpected" ambiguous beauty of a childhood lived in it.

Describing the James Island Creek he played in as boy, Mr Bresee writes: "The tide was far out and we stood still for a few moments trying to see everything at once. To have this shoreline for a playground was almost unbelievable. This living, warm thing before us and a stream of moving water! The sloping plane of mud, popping in the hot sun; the black surface skimming with fiddler crabs that vanished like raindrops when we approached."

Those fiddler crabs vanished then -- but they are here, now, caught for us in the fragile but enduring net of langauge.--Andrew Harvey

From The Library Journal-- "Often humorous and even bittersweet, the book is a poignant reflection of the Southern customs, family life, school and race relations."

From the Cleveland Plain Dealer -- "Bresee's prose is cadanced and flowing...a moving look back at his formative years in an alien place."

The first two volumes in this series are fascinating looks at Sturgeon's development, well worth reading for those who are already fans of his. The third is where Sturgeon really starts to hit his stride, though, and this fourth volume is the first that I can wholeheartedly recommend to those previously unfamiliar with his work. Not every story here is superb; some are a bit dull, and some are overlong and predictable. But there's enough excellent material here to make it a solid introduction to Sturgeon's work, and the fascinating end-notes on each story by Paul Williams will make you wonder why other authors' complete-works collections can't be as thoroughly researched or as interestingly annotated. "Maturity," the first story here, is a masterpiece in the old sense of the word: it marks Sturgeon's transition from journeyman to master, while prefiguring _Flowers for Algernon_ (and predating it by a good 20 years). Other high points of this collection include the non-fantastical "A Way Home," the horror story "The Professor's Teddy Bear," the hilarious "Tiny and the Monster," and "Thunder and Roses," which is still relevant after 55 years.

Four volumes in and no clunkers yet, this guy had something special . . . and his Hugo and Nebula winning short story is still about thirty years away. Wow. If you've been following along all this time let me just say that this volume will give you more pleasures than any writer had any right to give you, most writers have a couple truly amazing short stories within them and while not everything Sturgeon wrote was genius the sheer amount of good stuff here is simply astounding. "Thunder and Roses" has to be one of the most humane stories ever written and others like "There is No Defense" or "The Professor and the Teddy Bear" (if it doesn't scare you, you must not have a pulse) stand up remarkably well. Again, you owe it to get every volume of this series and save it for the generations to come, we have so few literate writers these days and those few that we have deserve to be remembered and enjoyed. Sturgeon is one. Read him.

This guy knew how to write about love, in all of it's phases, yet never or rarely descended into mawkishness. And a lot of his considerable output is classic. Buy it if you have to skip lunch for a week. If you've never read Sturgeon before, you're in for a treat, language of a grace and power to rival Bradbury and a way of moving along jauntily that compares with Henry Kuttner (Lewis Padgett) and Alfred Bester.

Robert Cole's "The Book of Houses" provides a unique and personalized system to really understand your natal chart. Out of print until recently, I have used Cole's book for years to help focus and manifest my personal goals, by utilizing the natural solar progression through my natal houses over the course of a year.

Cole provides an easy-to-use chart to calculate the dates of your natal houses. For instance, my "rising sign": occurs at 25 degrees Libra. According to Cole, this is equated with the day which occurs 25 degrees (or days) into the sign of Libra - or October 18th. Every year, this is the day when the Sun crosses into my 1st house & spends approximately 30 days there. Working with the solar progression as a process of "bringing to light", I would spend this time focused on "1st house issues".

Assigning 365 days on the 360-degree circle of a natal chart is easy, when Cole provides you with the key. His system allows you to spend approximately one month per year in each of the 12 houses, working to bring to fruition a set of goals you chose on the appropriate day.

Actually, I have blended Cole's system with the annual choosing of a tarot card to create an integrated and personalized magickal pattern of self-actualization, which I have taught to others.

Cole's book is fun to work with and each individual's house-seed system is unique unto themselves. You do, however, need to have an accurate natal chart to use the book since it does not provide you with one.

If I were stranded on a desert island and could only have one astrology book - this is it! Have been using this cycle of houses in my life for over 15 years - it's amazing!

Well written and with occasional engaging flashes of humor, Five Miles High gives a well-drawn picture of the large Himalayan expeditions of the past. At the same time as expedition members are having their food cooked for them and having their gear carried by numerous "coolies", they are walking a much greater distance, and in some ways subsisting in harsher conditions, than climbers do today. The contrasts with the present day are perhaps the most interesting thing about this book. "Boy's First Adventure Book"-ish illustrations at the chapter headings add a charming retro touch.

Five Miles high is an extremely interesting and very readable firsthand account of the 1938 American Expedition to climb K2, the second highest peak in the world. The book is a reissue of the original book describing the expedition and is authored by two team leaders with additional contributions by the other four team members. Of particular interest is their description of their trek through the Karakoram just to reach the mountain in the days when the primary hauling of supplies was done by ponies and porters. The contrast between the preparations and efforts involved in this expediton and the efforts described in all of the current Mt. Everest books is amazing. All in all, you'll find this a very enjoyable book to read. The same authors also wrote a second book describing their 1953 expedition - K2, The Savage Mountain. This one also has been recently reissued.

As the webmaster of the 27th Pursuit history and research page, I have been involved in primary research into the life of Frank Luke Jr. since 1995. The Haibers' new book is without a doubt the most thorough and best-researched work I have read on the topic.

Much of what passes today for the Luke story was published between the 1920s and 1940s, and for the most part this body of work is fraught with error. Luke has always been a romantic figure, and a great deal of his legend is simply that. Legend. The authors of September Rampage not only did a good job of developing new information about their subject, but they also do an overly exhaustive job of trying to put Luke in his proper historical context.

My notes from my pre-publication review copy of the book indicate some areas of conflict with my own research, but they also point out well-documented facts that I missed in my studies.

September Rampage is not the definitive work on the 27th Pursuit or Frank Luke, but it is the best history available. Not only is it recommended reading for those interested in Luke (along with Hartney's "Up and At 'Em" and Hall's "The Balloon Buster"), it is the first book one should read on this topic. September Rampage is to be applauded as the first significant advance in this field in the past 50 years. I sure wish they had published this one years ago - it would have saved me a LOT of time.

Major Congratulations to Mr. Billy Haiber and gratitude to his lovely wife for putting up with him while writing this incredible book. He has covered virtually everything that can be known about Frank Luke Jr from his ancestral heritage to the last days of his life. His passion for knowing the full story led him to detail page after page of photos, documents, and credible source material. Anyone who has tried to search online for meaningful info on Frank eventually discovers NO BETTER SOURCE. September Rampage seemed to reach its ultimate goal when on November 18, 2000 Billy, the town of Murvaux, France and many representatives from around the world met at Murvaux to rededicate the memorial to Frank Luke Jr. Even if I wasn't interested in US Military Heroes, September Rampage would inspire me. Thank You, Billy.

I just received this mornin' the fresh flash book, i already own the Flash Math Creativity book, and i have to admit that this fresh flash book is a great source of inspiration for designer, or good programmers, as the Flash Math Creativity, the authors still does not explain very well what they "paste" in the book, full pages of code with // explanation if you begin do not get this book, if you have solid knowledge of actionscript so this book is for you !!! you will scratch your head while reading the book, and that is the GAME !! Even if it is, a little bit more explanation in the book would have been a pleasure that is the reason why i would give 4 stars, because some parts of the code are very hard to understand...

Finally, this book is divided into 9 parts, one for each author, each one got his own way of coding and that is funny to see how they solve different problems, they got their touch !!

So, designers, coders get this book !!!!!!!

This is a _very_ nice book. I have recently changed my field of study at my university to design and media. Lately I've been wanting to break in Flash so that I could add motion to my art. This book was perfect. I didn't need to learn how to create a tween or any actual respect of Flash really, but instead how to explore the creative potentials that permeate from Flash. It was quite incredible.

Particularly, I found the chapters on video and 3D, runtime 3D, "bezier creatures", and the set interval enticing. You should see the chapter on runtime 3D! A _full_ library of 3d code that is extremely easy to use (including incredibly insightful comments in the code). You do not need to know much math to make some crazy effects. Also the chapter on video and Flash enlightened me as I did not know of flash's capabilities in this field.

So, in the end, get this book! It is awe inspiring.

I think that the book was sorta boring and definetly not great. I mean the theme is pretty good, but I've read books that were a lot better.

great book. it is really interesting. i've had this book since 5th grade and i haven't read it till now (10th grade) i'm sorry i didn't. it was great- duh george.

I read the book The Perilous Road by William O. Steele. If you like exciting books you should read this one. I really don't like to read but this book I really enjoyed reading. The story takes place during the Civil War. Chris Brabson hates the union troops for many reasons. He tries ro get them back for stealing their food through a variety of ways.