At first glance, this might seem like a good textbook. However, after having to deal with it for 3/4 of a semester, I've learned to not judge a book by its cover.

First of all, formulas are not presented in a way that is helpful. Facts should be highlighted and processes explained more clearly and concisely. As a non-programmer (I've taken web programming, computer science 1 and 2 up through binary trees), I felt that the symbols used for representing a lot of the rules were more confusing, and the text didn't help much in the explanation of what these combinations of symbols actually represented. Luckily I had a friend who could help me sum up what these things meant!

Our instructor also posted solutions to the problems from the instructor's book. One week there were 5 corrections for 10 homework problems (where the meat of the problem was actually approached in the WRONG WAY). Not to mention the multiple typos that any spell checker could have found.

For $[money], I'm sure there's a better textbook out there. To quote one of my friends, there is a better interpretation of Jim Gray's quote:

"This is a great book!" (I didn't read it at all!)
"This is the book I wish I had written!" (Then it wouldn't be so messed up and I'd be rolling in the dough!)...

First I need to explain my background: I only knew a little about databases and SQL in general, but I knew the topic was rather complex and very broad. Since I wanted to understand how transactions are implemented I decided to find a book on them and stumbled upon this book; I am glad I did.

Do I now understand how transactions are implemented? Not 100%, but certainly a great deal more so than before I read this books' chapters on transactions. Indeed, I am far more equiped to work with transactions because this book helped me understand what is going on "under the hood". While it wasn't "code level" details, it certainly satisfied this novices' thirst for a general understanding of transaction implementation plus it piqued my curiousity to go on and learn more about transactions as written by the likes of Gray.

Further, I have been given a nice introduction to Database Theory and the topic of Entity Relationships - an entire study of how best to design our data, which before hand I was completely unaware of!

Two chapters seemed rather difficult and one of the authors was kind enough to suggest I study Susanna Epp's fine "Discrete Mathematics with Applications" before heading back into foray of DB theory.

So, all and all, I found this book a delight and well worth working through.

Database and Transaction Processing by Philip M. Lewis, et al. is written as a multi-purpose textbook and practical reference guide for software engineers. One can use this book both as an undergraduate introductory course in database theory and design, as an advanced graduate-level course in databases, or as a graduate level course in transaction processing.

Being outside of the academia, but still needing a foundational theoretical (but not necessarily formal or overly detailed) reference, I was impressed on the ability of the authors to present concise and useful practical facts. Some other textbooks suffer from overwrought attention to topics in database normalization, correctness proves, and such - this one gives a lot of practical advise in optimization, distributed databases and issues of concurrency control and transaction processing. Chapters are organized in a self-contained fashion, so with a bit of background in databases, reader can just read a chapter in isolation if she is interested in a topic.

In summary, a very useful book.

I recommend the book "The Demon Haunted World" by Carl Sagan for those who wish to hear an alternative view/evidence about these assertions.

So there was a ship or what ever, why cant we see it some is bond to know what it is, if you read a lot of alian books.I just wont to see it.I dont care what it is I wont to see it.It might be a space ship it might not. I think if kids who read alian books should see it they might know what it is you know they can get beater info in there heads of what it might be you know.See kids have beater imaganations then adults do.So why keep it a secret people know abot it already, let use see what it is for our selfs...I might even know what it is but I dount it.Who know I might know what it is,its not hard you know..& what I wont to know is what does WAA mean?

If you are interested in this subject matter this is full of good information. Also recommend Robert Doherty's AREA 51 and its sequel AREA 51 THE REPLY. Doherty is former government special ops, so what he writes is interesting.

this book is very good for me to build my strength
and power for fight against military dictatorship
in my country. Thank you for Daw Aung San Suu Kyi.

KoKoOo

This book was for me an opener into the evolution of Burma's political scene, and it proved to be a good one.

Whilst it takes some time to get accustomed to the many abbreviations of Burma's political parties and factions, once it is gotten used to, Freedom from Fear becomes an essential book for those interested in the becoming of Aung San Suu Kyi - daughter of Burma's national hero, the late Aung San - and her process of fighting and eventually winning the support of the country she always called home depite her international influences.

Though Freedom from Fear would be a good book to start learning about Burma's modern political history, I would suggest first reading about pre-colonial Burma to get a better grasp and understanding of the country's stand and place in Southeast Asia.

This book really inspired me. And all the details information written in this book are 100% accurate and I was so suprised to read all those history things that I have learnt in my childhood in my country, Myanmar. I believe this is one of the books that every patriots of Burma should have.

Hedda Gabler lives in an absolute prison. Her idylic residence is a prison, her marriage to a hopeful "ilustrious intellectual" is a prison, but above all, she lives imprisoned by herself, trapped by the social parameters that demand her to live the way she does. Hedda just can't figure out how to get out of that tedious state. She's intelligent, cold, severe; Gabler has an almost prodigious capacity to obtain all the information she inquires about the people around her; she manipulates them, she seems to get involved, but she simply tries to take advantage of the situation. Apparently, she doesn't feel much, but in reality, Hedda is in constant turmoil - her involvement has to do, almost exclusively, with what she just cannot allow herself to do.

For this woman, being able to have some sort of "power" over someone becomes the most exciting of all experiences, however - there's a point when she no longer will be able to manipulate the situation on her favor, she will realize how many forces have power over her; therefore, she will simply do the most congruent and coherent of things, as unexpected and shocking as the outcome of this play could possibly be.

Hedda Gabler is a wonderful story of a woman desperately trying to have control over her life. Married to a husband she doesn't love and pregnant with a child she doesn't want, Hedda seeks comfort in an old friend. There are enough surprizes in this play to keep it interesting throughout. Ibsen uses his brilliant writing style to capture the very essence of Hedda. I highly recommend Hedda Gabler as well as other works by Henrik Ibsen.

Hedda Gabler is a play filled with tensions and the theme of power play. Personally, I feel that Hedda Gabler is a reflection of a woman trapped in the wrong time. She is one who wants power but is denied of it due to her gender and also her status in the society and all that she needs is to just sit at home and recieve visitors. She has no aims to look forward to and I believe that it is suffocating for this woman. If she had been born in this time of the century, I believe that she would not land up in that patathic end.

Being a Dutch reenactor and figure painter, I thoroughly enjoyed this well-illustrated book....till I arrived at the Dutch-Belgian uniforms. I know that Dutch-Belgian uniforms are not well documented in English sources, but the several errors I found ( cuffs, plumes, shakoplates etc. ) made me realize there's still a lot of work to be done in order to make sure the figure painter that wants to paint ALL of the uniforms at Waterloo has all the proper information he needs.

This book has 80 color plates! A complete description of each regiment's uniform, even those not pictured, is included. Haythorthwaite (say it real fast three times!) writes well, although those with no experience of Napoleonic uniforms may need the dictionary close by. This book is all the reference I need to paint my figures

Philip J. Haythornthwaite has assembled an impressive collection of highly readable, popular historical accounts on history's greatest soldiers, Napoleon Bonaparte.

This work features 80 color plates, usually with two soldiers depicted per plate, sometimes three, supported by sufficient text, to show what the soldiers were wearing at Waterloo. Its emphasis is on what they actually wore as opposed to what the regulations prescribed they wear. Originally published in 1974, this new edition features the same color plates and text, but the bibliography has been expanded to include additional significant works that have since appeared. An introductory history of the Battle of Waterloo, a short section on flags, and the orders of battle for the combatants round out this work.

The central claim of this book--that France is actually adapting to globalization (whatever that means) better than the political rhetoric might suggest--is counter-intuitive and interesting. However, it is superficially researched and lumps together public opinion, social movements, interest groups, trade policy, etc., as if they were acting in the same field and part of a single, homogeneous phenomenon. Although the overview of trade debates in several sectors is interesting, the authors reduce antiglobalization politics in France to a nostalgic longing for French 'grandeur'. Such a label is perhaps applicable to some sectors of the French elite (Chevenement, Seguin, Pasqua) but certainly not to the wide variety of social movements and associations that focus on the democratic deficit and the increase of inequalities.

This is a wonderful book, thoroughly researched and very well written, which should satisfy both Francophiles and Francophobes alike! Gordon and Meunier offer a balanced account of a contemporary France that adapts remarkably well to globalization but hides this adaptation under a cloud of anti-globalization and anti-Americanization rhetoric.

"The French Challenge" is a MUST for anybody who wants to understand contemporary France. This is provocative book which has many insights into the love/hate relationship of the French with globalization. A very solid piece of work and a great read.

I was given this book and was pleasantly surprised at the behind the scenes info and the photos.

It is a book that deserves to be place out on full view. I have it on our coffee table and itnever fails to inspire good conversation.

You may like it too.

Jamieson, et al. have done a very good job of trying to come to grips with the one of the hottest topics in military histroy - the way that armies in the late 19th Century attempted to cope with technological innovation and newer, more destructive weapons. Additionally they cover that most peculiarly American of all military campaigns, the Indian Wars, with an intelligence and incisiveness that I have not seen anywhere else - forget about the glorious charges of the Saturday matinee! My only gripe with this book is that it relies too heavily on letting the factual material speak for itself. A greater degree on analysis would have made the book longer, but it would have made it better too. Overall, it is a welcome addition to the growing literature on the revolution in military affairs which was taking place at the time, and it serves as a reminder at our own 'fin de siecle', about the continuing need for new ideas in military tactics.

Developing Urban Entertainment Centres is a great resource for developers, retailers, consultants, academics, and consumers. Featuring lots of colour photographs with case studies, this book borders on being a coffee table book.

UECs are tough to define, and the authors devote over 30 pages in trying to define it. By the end though, I still do not have a clear concise definition of UECs.

In addition, it does not have a perspective in arguing for or against UECs. I was looking for the authors' arguments why cities or communities should encourage or discourage UECs.

Lastly, since retail trends change every ten years or so, the authors do not mention what will be the likely format when UECs are no longer the latest trends. Predicting the future is tough, but the authors should at least help me point to a particular direction.

Overall, this is the only comprehensive book on this topic so far, and it is quite enjoyable to read.

This reference book has proven to be invaluable to me. The ease of use of this reference tool has proven itself time and time again. I would highly recommend utilizing this tool whenever on-line data or software is not available for CAS number searches, nomenclature searches, or chemical structures.