As a Captain in the Washington State Civil War Association I portray the Company "A" 1st Confederate Engineers commanding officer. We try to make our re-enacments as authentic as possible but information on the Confederate Engineers is very difficult to find as most records were lost when Richmond was evacuated. I have found Mr. Jackson's book to be of immense help in studying the history of the 1st C.E. The information he gives is obviously well researched and is presented in an interesting way so it is enjoyable to read. The use of letters from the participants gives the book a personal touch that I found drew me into the action as though I were actually there in the works at Petersburg while the seige was going on. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in the War Between the States.

Here is a brilliant bit of parody and humor centered around a golf match. For us Americans who don't fully understand the British class system and arrogance, here is the book to fully explain it (not to mention unmasking a bit of male chauvanism)

I was introduced to this text as a supplemental source of information for a Transport Phenomena course with the Bird, et al text as the primary textbook. Although the Bird text is still the forerunner in this subject in my opinion, it can be a difficult text in the undergraduate setting. I found the Brodkey and Hershey text to be packed with valuable explanations and graphs that complement the Bird text. I do believe this text would be very good in the role as a primary undergraduate transport text, but I expect to see the use of the Bird text continue because of its quality and longevity in the field. Personally, I still refer to the Brodkey and Hershey text first, before I delve back into the harder to read Bird text.

Harry did not want to be President and was not tied to corrupt political influences as President. This book misses the essence of Harry Truman badly. I suggest reading Harry's own books to understand Harry, at least this author knew Harry intimately.

Robert Ferrell has been the foremost Truman scholar for several decades. His culminating work is this fine, well-researched, analytically compelling biography. It was supposed to be the definitive work on Truman. But David McCullough published his magnum opus first. I wish that Professor Ferrell had received a fraction of the well-deserved acclamation heaped on McCullough. The two works are complementary. Ferrell does not match the rich narrative sweep of McCullough but makes up for it with critical analysis and placing Truman and his presidency in historical context, both in terms of change and continuity. If you liked "Truman" you will appreciate "Harry S. Truman: A Life" and may find it ultimately more satisfying.

"Harry S Truman" is an edifying biography of the Man from Independence, from his days as a boy until his retirement and death in Independence. Throughout this biography, Ferrell does an excellent job of covering the main events in Truman's life as well as undertaking in-depth analysis of various issues and decisions with which Truman was concerned. This biography serves, not only as an interesting character study, but also as a view into the other figures of history with whom Truman interacted as well as a view into the general history of his day. I recommend this book to all who have an interest in Truman or his era.

This book is a collection of eighteen fantasy stories, from some very distinguished and well known authors. Unfortunately for me these stories have already been covered in almost every other fantasy anthology book available.

Still, there are some noteworthy tales here. While there are a few fantasy-fantasy stories (knights and dragons and minor magic) most of the stories are contemporary tales that, not fitting into the general "fiction" category, ended up as "fantasy." Many times such tales get classified under the "science fiction" category. Many in fact I do recognize from "Analog", "Science Fiction and Fantasy", and "Asimov's" magazines.

Included tales that struck my fancy are "The Edge of the World" (Michael Stanwick), about three bored contemporary teens who decide to descend the abyss at the edge of town. Good sense of wonder in this one (it really does seem to be the Edge of the World since there is an endless stairway that winds its way down, and down, and down endlessly), and the protagonists are real and believable with lots of angst, and confusion about life (and not the Edge itself). "Wong's Lost and Found Emporium" (William Wu) is about a strange shop where you can find things that you have lost; and not just that charm bracelet you lost at the beach but perhaps lost hopes and dreams as well. Not as cliche as it sounds.

The authors participating are (last name only for space): Zelazny, Haldeman, de Lint, Bishop, Martin, Kushner, Foster, Silverberg, Tiptree, Wu, Ellison, Bear, Springer, Le Guin, Norton, Stanwick, Card, Niven.

A Minus: the publishing rights/agency credits are given, but not the sources/bibliography. Each story here came from somewhere else; Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, Asimov's, Locus, Interzone, etc. Not a mention of any resource. Some of us like to know this stuff.

It's clear that the publishers of this book elected Silverberg to cough up a fantasy anthology, and he wasn't quite up to the task. Usually he makes better selections when he edits such a book. In fairness I will say that most of the stories here have won, or have been nominated for, the various yearly awards (World Fantasy, Hugo, Nebula, etc.)

If you have three or more contemporary fantasy anthologies, chances are you already have all of the stories in this book. If you do not, and are looking for sword and sorcery, this book isn't it. If you are looking for "contemporary" style fantasy, this may suit your taste.

This is a good little book of Fantasy Short Fiction. Recommended

Murasaki star system contains a duo of inhabitable planets that orbit each other: Genji - a high-gravity world with a dense, soupy atmosphere; and Chujo - an arid, wintry world of canyons and wind-swept plains. Neither is perfect for humans - on Genji they must wear pressure suits in addition to getting used to gravity levels half-again as high as on Earth; Chujo is more forgiving, though it can be intensely cold. Both planets serve home to sapient races: the Ihrdizu of Genji - low-tech amphibians that congregate in small villages; and the humanoids of Chujo - aloof, mysterious beings that ignore the humans entirely. It is here that the first manned interstellar expeditions will arrive, bearing humans of all frames of mind - Earthlings and off-worlders, atheists and philosophers, mystics and iconoclasts...

Instead of being a collaborative novel, "Murasaki" is a mixed bag of science fiction stories that share a setting, each written by a different award-winning author. Mind the fact that the only interesting part is the fairly in-depth world-creation notes (included as appendices), and that the stories are pathetically shallow and lead virtually nowhere...

...That is precisely what I though about this "science fiction novel in six parts" prior to reading the last two parts, which are so refreshingly, profoundly excellent that I almost wept with awe. A mystery of interplanetary proportions is suddenly built up and then revealed in flying colors.

It's really a pity that the rest of Murasaki doesn't follow suit.

I became interested in this book after reading Otherness by David Brin. One of the short stories in Otherness is actually a chapter in Murasaki. The book itself is has a very intruiging storyline and I enjoyed reading much of it. The only problam I had was the mental transition I had to make with each chapter of the book, as they are all written by different authors.

All in all, I would definitely recommend this book for anyone who likes the work of Brin, Bear, Anderson, Pohl, Kress etc etc etc.. They all wrote parts of it.

A good read.

I read the first one about 6 months ago. A all-round good time, one mishap after another, the first book you wanted to see want would happen next, BUT this one! Jumps from one story line to another, with unbelievable plots, I know that it is Science Fiction but the authors could at lest try to make it believable. I felt it was three or even four books that were not related to each other, I would not recommend this one at all. I will try one more of the series, but if the next one is just as bad no more.

This is a good book for when you want to read something that has a plot and characters and all that literary stuff, but you don't want to have to actually think.

If you haven't read this, but have read any of either author, then you haven't hallucinated anything yet.

It is a frivolous romp through a sad universe that seems populated with familiar faces by two of the great experts in the genre of humorous SF.

Read it or be forever the way you are. (Not that it will change anything permanent. Just a few yucks and a strange longing for a second right arm - even if the colours don't match.)

Filled with in-jokes that only a fan would get, it is a feast for the initiated.

It is the most boring textbook I've ever seen. Too dull that I nearly fall asleep. Luckily my teacher has excellent lecture notes so I can understand the concepts of physical anthropology.
If you are so unlucky that you have to use this book, I can only wish you have a good teacher. God bless you.

An acceptable intro text for physical anthropology. It's overall scope is wide, and it covers the relevant topic, but it's just so . . . dull. It takes a rare person to fall in love with physical anthroplogy after getting through this book. Jurmain et al are in fine anthropological literary form, which means half-asleep and probably on a fiber-reduced diet. This book is so stilted and formulaic that getting through each chapter is a herculean labour. It's also fairly childish in its format, with irritating extra " Try This!" questions at the end of each chapter; the sort you doubtless remember from high school and junior high textbooks and the ones which no one - not even the teacher's pet- ever did. The price is also ridiculously high considering its a non-specialist text for beginners. Come on guys, gimme a break, the right-wing government where I live already believes students are made of money.

This is probably THE most boring physical textbook on the market, but it is also the most comprehensive. As an undergrad, I couldn't stay awake through more than a couple of paragraphs at a time. As an anthropologist, I can't think of a better text
to assign to my students. For the serious student, there simply is no way to avoid this book. It set the standard.

It could be worse. It could have been longer.

Please completely ignore the prior review of this book. This is one of the best collections of non-fiction essays about the Big Sky State. Edited by two of the foremost Montana historians, the book does an excellent job covering the rich history of montana. Some essays are so basic to the study of the state that all people interested in Montana should read them. For example, David Emmons study of the Green vs. Orange Irish feud in Butte not only is entertaining but also gives new light to the wars of the copper kings. Margaret Scherf's study of the legislature as it dealt with the Baker vs. Carr decision (reapportionment rulings) shows the internal tension between machine politics and a natural populism. Of course, Harry Fritz's essay stands out as the basic reading on how Montana changed from the puppet of the Anaconda Copper Mining Company to a state that still gropes for its own destiny.

If you are looking for a book that comprehensively studies the state, look to Toole's Montana: An Uncommon Land or Malone, Roeder & Lang's Montana: A History of Two Centuries. However, if you already know the basics and want to look further, give Montana Heritage a try.

The title of Truman and Pendergast implys that there is some meaningful and new knowledge regarding the relationship between these two men. This is simply not the case. There is very little about that relationship but rather a rehash of frequently publish information in other bios. This book, while it may be well written, adds nothing to the pile of information already out there. Three-percent of this very short book explored the relationship and ninety-seven percent was about the difficulties experienced by Truman because of the stigma of the relationship. Nothing new. If you want to read some great bios on Truman read TRUMAN by McCullough or MAN OF THE PEOPLE by Hamby.

Robert H. Ferrell's "Truman and Pendergast" is a fine addition to the ever increasing pantheon of written history of our 33rd (32nd) president. Ferrell focuses on a period which, until now, has not been the main focus of any Truman biography. The author paints a vivid picture of the necessary evils one faces when choosing a life in public service while maintaining one's own countenance. Ferrell centralizes his work on several main points, beginning with the initial years of Truman's political career when it was necessary for the backing of Pendergast (especially in the political machine controlled era of the earlier part of the century) and culminating with Truman's Senate re-election campaign of 1940. These main points bookend a gradual separation of Truman and Pendergast, as Truman ascends in stature and Pendergast descends into a downward spiral culminating in his incarceration in a federal penitentiary. Throughout the course of the book Ferrell maintains an anecdotal style of storytelling, which allows the reader to gain deeper insight into a very different period of political history then we find in today's day and age. "Truman and Pendergast" is a must-have for any student of Truman, as well as an excellent addition to the history of politics of the early 1900s.