Leatherwork is filled with gorgeous photographs and excellent projects for beginners or experienced leather crafters. Instructions are well written and easy to follow. A perfect gift for those who love trying new things.

Let's face it. There just aren't many machine embroidery books from which to choose. For the price, this one is darn good. It is geared towards free motion embroidery so it is suitable for all models of sewing machines. It features 25 projects that are well explained and plenty of full color photographs. The projects include jewelery, accessories, and clothing for the most part - all with a very modern look. No heirloom or hand embroidery look alikes. Everthing very proudly says I am a unique machine work of art.

There are tons of blather, mostly from the bleats of the so-called intellectual class, that will forever bury the truth of Soviet subversion in the United States. They scream "witch-hunt," and the learned nod and scratch their chins, and imagine Lillian Hellman as a heroic figure. But, as Dwight MacDonald (no conservative) said, there ARE little witches. The Venona de-crypts, the testimony of the actual Soviet case-officers, the later confessions---all these things mean nothing to liberal myths. In this volume, brothers-in-law Buckley and Bozell (with an uncharacteristic lack of humor, but with a surgeon's scalpel) look at McCarthy's charges. From Moss to Lattimore, the dramatis personae and the evidence and the words of McCarthy's critics are laid before us. The conclusions are left to the reader; but the authors make a central point: nothing, EVER, said by McCarthy was as outrageous as those yawped by his critics. This book will inform those who have the Schrecker view of communism ("non-traditional patriotism"), the Appleton loyalists, as well as those who seek the facts. Recommended.

It provides researchers with matural methods which have been testified by the author to be awarded. In addition, the frontier of molecular biology -the application of computers in the research of biology was also involved in this protocol book.

The book is packed full of detailed information on progressive movements in the art worlds of New York City from the 1890s to the 1970s -- literature, painting, photography, ballet, drama, architecture, jazz and classical music (but not broadcasting)-- with over 60 excellent black-and-white illustrations. Admittedly the authors' grasp of New York geography sometimes falters: 29 West 35th Street is placed "near Penn Station"; Sloan's painting 'Sixth Avenue and Thirtieth Street' supposedly has Times Square "distantly" in sight; a walk up Broadway from the Battery leads to "City Park". But that should not detract from the extensive and solid material on the city's advances in the visual arts.

Peter the Great, written by William Marshall and published by Longman Group Limited in 1996, is a nonfiction historical work about the life and works of what some from the time hailed as "the greatest Monarch of our age (p 88)." The text lends a good deal of understanding to the now defunct U.S.S.R. and present-day Russia. Marshall presents Peter as a rather nontraditional ruler whose genius schemes and manipulations (though not always immediately successful) ushered in a new era for Russia and laid the foundation on the world scene and in Russia for what was to come in following centuries. Perhaps the most striking feature of Peter the Great as presented in this text was his unconventionality as a ruler. Peter's lifestyle was rather crass as far a world leaders go, and extremely unorthodox when compared to his Russian predecessors. Peter's shabby, foreign dress combined with his heavy drinking and love of the company of "common folk" were just a few peculiarities that contributed to his rough image. Marshall points out that at times this was to his advantage and at others it may have worked against him. Perhaps Peter wanted it that way, being the manipulator that he was. Peter lived the way he ruled. It was his way or the high way, and this may have been one of his ingredients for success (at least initially). One of the main emphases of the book (and rightly so) is the military ventures of Peter the Great. Marshall attributes Peter's love of the military to his growing up in the foreign districts of Moscow. Indeed much of Peter's character and behaviors are attributed to this. From the moment that Peter assumed authority, his immediate and long term goals centered around the military. Russia needed a warm-water outlet to western Europe. Peter desired conquest of foreign held territories bordering Russia. A large and effective military was needed to defend what Russia already held against its enemies. At the time Russia's infrastructure was infantile or nonexistent. The course of action that Peter pursued to attain his goals set Russia on a hurried pace to a seat at the world's table. Marshall repeatedly points out that Russia was already on a course for prominence and development (set by Ivan IV) but Peter did a great deal to speed the process. For Peter the key to advancing Russia lay in the Westernization of his empire. Peter was constantly recruiting foreigners for service and leadership in the military and his government, a process that Ivan IV had begun. The need for funds to finance Peter's great military and naval schemes as well as interior development had many significant short term and long term effects upon Russia. Extremely heavy taxes were imposed upon the Russian people as well as the Church. Soldiers for the army and sailors for the navy were forcibly enlisted. Forced migrations to areas where labor was needed were common. This was cause for much dissent at the time, but it had a much more far reaching effect. A general feeling of the need for service to the state was being instilled in the Russian people. People were becoming nothing more than a cog in the wheel of the great machine which Russia was to become. As Marshall puts it, "The hallmark of his working life was service to the state, for the common good (p 10)." This is a sentiment that the U.S.S.R. played heavily upon and one of the reasons Russia was able to do so much so fast. Peter eventually assumed the title of Emperor, and allowed no opposition. While Peter was a religious man, he certainly lacked the piety of previous tsars. The Church was strong and the Patriarch held considerable authority with the people. Peter cowed the Church, ended the position of Patriarch and made the Church no more than a department of the state to be used for its benefit. A darker side of Peter is revealed when he founded the "Most Drunken Synod (p 56)." The ceremonies performed were a mockery and meant to weaken the Church, but it also raises questions about the mental stability of Peter. While Peter was not an extremely educated man, he was intelligent and he understood the power of education. He founded many schools and academies to teach the art of warfare, medicine, and shipbuilding among other things. His emphasis on practical knowledge and technology as opposed to basic research and theory illuminates Peter's impatient and demanding nature. He desired that the only things taught or learned were those of immediate importance and that could be implemented directly. In all things that he did, Peter wanted what he wanted the way he wanted and as soon as possible. That is evident in the building of St. Petersburg against the council of his advisors. He then had to force the population and development of the city. Peter wanted to glorify his empire, he sought to do that by expanding. To expand Russia needed a large up-to-date military and navy. To achieve that Russia needed money and people and foreign help. To advance the military and support expansion Russia needed to develop its infrastructure. I believe Peter went about meeting these needs in the wrong order. I dispute the claim by Marshall that Peter was a social egalitarian (p 11). He failed to recognize any rights at all, save that of his autocracy to rule unchallenged. Some may say that this was what was needed at the time, but a garden sown with weeds will always grow weeds and will eventually leach everything it can out of the soil and die. We have seen such a thing happen in our own lifetime with the demise of the U.S.S.R. and the poor state of Russia.

interested in this particular subject. This book does talk about romance in Hollywood comedies of 80's and 90's. Sometimes parallels are drawn with the older films. All argumemnts are based on classical film theory. Interesting book, but not the most essential on the subject+ too expensive, in my opinion.

One of the clichés about Monticello is that few houses do so good a job revealing the personality of its builder. But clichés get to be such generally because there's truth to them, and that's definitely the case here. If Thomas Jefferson was one of the most interesting figures in American history (and I think that's unquestionably true), then Monticello may well be one of America's most interesting houses. And for this colorful book produced by the Thomas Jefferson Foundation, we are guided through the house and grounds by people who know their stuff.

Specifically, the chapters of this title are written by Monticello's director of restoration, the curator, the director of gardens and grounds, and other experts associated with the Foundation. Large, colorful photos are accompanied by informed commentary and all the requisite history, as well as documentation of the decades of restoration work it has taken to get the house and grounds to its current condition. A book doesn't make up for a visit in person -- if anything, I wished for more photos of the interior, especially of the book room and "cabinet." But for a general overview of the house, grounds, and collection, and an insight into the man himself, this book is hard to beat. I recommend it as a souvenir, as well as a nice companion to a Jefferson biography.

I wet my pants in anticipation for this book. I never could understand Shakespeare, until now. This book revived my intrest and kept me busy for days. The only problem I found with this treasure of literary reference was it's lack of entries for Macmorris from "Henry V" and Jaques De Boys from "As You Like It". Other than that, I say that this book is for anyone who is beaten over the head by Shakespeare's works.

Written just at the brink of the Internet revolution, Bill Gates (Microsoft CEO) predicts what will happen in the future in regards to computers. Gates predicts that computers will become even more prevalent and become more indispensable. Roughly the first quarter of the book is dedicated to computer history and Gates' early computer experiences. Also, Gates writes a synopsis of the start of Microsoft.

Much of the book deals with the future of e-commerce and how the consumer will win with more choices. Also chapters are dedicated to the benefits to the economy when technology becomes more infused with daily life. In addition, he predicts that computers will become smarter and be able to learn about the user and response quicker, even guessing ahead of time what a user's request might be. Gates feels that it is important to include computers in school, as children can learn better with them.

I felt Gates' predictions were a bit overly optimistic. I also felt that with the coming of this new technology that the end of privacy would result. While Gates does address this issue, I felt that it was treated in a light matter. The book is about 6 years old and his predictions were largely on the money. However, some the products he sees have yet to come to fruition. I didn't I find many of his plans too laughable, but some bordered Orwellian. The audience of the book need not be overly technical to understand the book, only an interest in where computers will take us next is required.

The book was without a doubt designed to be more of an advertisement of self and Microsoft, but there is no actual boasting and self-focus there. I enjoyed it. Of course in terms of predicting the future the book failed, still the history of technology and general trends are outlined quite well. Ingenuity and innovation are not the greatest Bill Gates' and Microsoft's strengths, they are very good at making money, bying or burying competitors and using somebody else's ideas. However I must admit that Bill has outstanding entrepreneurial talents and surely can market himself and his company. I was curious what the richest man in the world was about, and I wasnt disappointed. Bill (or his ghost writers) can write very well, readers will enjoy the language and dynamics of the book, and throughout "The Road Ahead" you are very subtly and indirectly lead to believe that Bill has been the main engine in the PC revolution. Job well done.

I read the first edition of the book a few years ago. It was also translated into Russian in 1997. And now when I'm reading "Business @ Speed of Thought" I take a look into the second edition of "The Road Ahead" and read it again. Considering that this book was written in 1995-96, the predictions he made are quite remarkable in their prophecy. The founder of Microsoft presents his vision for the future in which he sees the digital technologies of the coming years changing the way we buy, work, learn, and communicate. And this man definitely knows the future.

"The Road Ahead" is very much primarily an easy-to-read IT textbook. This book tells you what lies ahead in the future for everyday living world of computers. Will everyone in the world have access to computers in our future? Will everyone gain access to the Internet? Will we be able to walk in a store and pick out whatever we want to, and walk out of the store without being a shoplifter? Read this amazing book and find out the answers to these questions and more.

It also includes CD-ROM containing the complete text of the book, a dictionary with multimedia hyperlinks and an interview with Bill Gates. It is still extraordinary. This CD-ROM illustrates the future of electronic publishing.

I interviewed Bill Gates in 1990 when he visited Moscow for the first time to introduce the very first Microsoft product in Russian language. It was MS-DOS 4.0. Then I wrote several books on MS-DOS and IT for beginners.

Bill Gates was worth "only" $2.5 billion in 1990. It is estimated that hundreds million people today have personal computers in their home. Over ninety-five percent of them are operating Windows Operating Systems. Today Microsoft really enjoys the self-made monopoly. Although many people don't like Bill Gates personally because he's so rich, I wish good luck to Microsoft Corp. and the Microsoft team. And at the same time I also wish good luck to all young entrepreneurs who will start their companies and deprive Microsoft of its reins eventually. This is the capitalism, ladies and gentlemen! This is a great system with opportunities for everyone with guts.

This is a must have book for anyone pursuing a career in computers, the computer hobbyist and the Mac users, too. Get this book today and have it in your library. I highly recommend it, especially to people new to computers and the digital revolution.