John Cornwell charts a his own spiritual renewal during a year spent visiting Catholic religious shrines across Europe and America. Somewhat marred by Cornwell's obvious and tiresome class snobbery. He wastes time recounting poor table manners and vulgar habits as if these devalue the spiritual experiences of his subjects. By doing so he merely irritates the reader with his own inflated sense of superiority. He obviously feels a public school and oxford background is essential to being a spiritual person. Luckily Jesus of Nazereth disagreed! One suspects John would have found the apostles a vulgar lot - as being fishermen they probably were. His obvious sexual infatuation with Sr Briege McKenna is embarassing - one doubts whether he would have given her mysticism much credence if he had not found her attractive. However, Despite nailing his colours firmly to the mast as a rather unpleasant itellectual and social snob Cornwell's account is gripping. He is obviously a man on a sincere quest for truth - if somewhat full of his own importance. Read it and ignore the whinging over table manners and bad breath!

John Cornwell takes the reader along on a spritual investigation of the world of heavenly and demonic apparations. His skepticism shows as he examines the lives of visionaries and modern day saints of the Catholic world. But it is also apparent that as he advances further into his investigations, he becomes more aware of his own spirituality. It is this awareness that encourages the reader to turn the page and discover what John Cornwell has learned next from the particular interviews he conducts with those who have seen visions of the Virgin Mary or who have heard the voice of God. His encounters with Sister Briege McKenna are also very interesting because of the effect they have on the author. Although most of the subject matter will be well known to those of Catholic faith, any curious reader who likes mystery and investigation will enjoy this book.

A brilliant study of how the ancient social and technical aspects of water management systems in Bali, inextricably bound with nature and religion, undermined the Green Revolution in the 1980s. Highly recommended

Lansing shows, through Balinese irrigation, that technology is simultaneously social and political, but often not in the ways imagined by Western academics and development experts. A dispersed system of water temples and priests successfully managed the irrigation of multiple valleys and plots through a process in which ritual served the regulatory function of feedback. Development projects decoupled the elements of the system and led to declining yields and increased pest damage. A computer simulation of the system was eventually developed, which effectively translated the system functions into a media that development experts could understand, and led to repairs to the damage done to agriculture following the implementation of Green Revolution techniques, revealing the role of ideology in presumably technical knowledge. The study also disproves Wittfogel's hypothesis that "oriental despotism" or extremely hierarchical and centralized states grew out of the expansion and control of irrigation systems. Highly recommended.

The first few chapters are hard going and it will take a leader experienced with the bible, studying hard to get through but after a little while the book moves on to the heart of the gospel and everyone will be blessed. John Stott writes leading questions that facilitate conversation and lead to easy study.

Stott does a great job (as usual) in this very thorough study on the book of Romans. He covers all of the major issues and themes in the book with scholarly integrity. At the same time he masterfully encourages the true believer as to the power of a sovereign God and the value of a true believer. It's not the lightest reading but it is well worth the effort.

It's better to read Noam Chomsky than to read what other people think of him.

Some of his earliest political books take some effort to get through. But not this one. Ever since (roughly) the 1980s, Chomsky has made his political research more accessible --- shorter books, books full of interviews, etc. This approach reaches its climax with Understanding Power. It's all here, presented in a way that anyone can read. If you want footnotes, they are easy to find online. (And there's a *lot* of them. They constitute a whole other book unto themselves.)

I highly recommend this book for anyone who wants a view of US foreign policy and political history that is accurate and respectful of basic human rights

This is a very articulate reflection on US capital and state policy which raises questions few if any people have answered in the popular western media.

Chomsky has an amazing mind, and that is an understatement; in his ability to quickly connect real and often disparate facts to explain complex ideas--that tie the systems of power. With a respectably high scientific experience and method he has created a formidable legal, philosophical and concientious case against the structure of capitalism in our country and laid out a daunting and unexposed history that every student or citizen should be aware of.

The book is easy to read. It is transcribed from his lectures over the years and is stuffed with accurate and easily accessible citations that allow one to make one's own decision over their legitamacy. Chomsky's writing is translucent and a voice that is far too unrecognized...

That I am the first person to review this book scares me. There are reasons why wars are fought and planes go crashing into buildings--and in many ways it has nothing to do with the interests of democracy or freedom or "violent" religions.

Required reading.

It is pretty much a given that Chomsky's ideas are compelling, whether you agee or not. The extraordinary value-add in this book is the editing job. It is obvious and gigantic. The authors have organized Chomsky's talks into logically flowing, highly documented, and parallel-structured snippets of one to three pages each - and there are a couple of hundred of them. Most of them open with an audience question, and a quick retort by Chomsky. This is followed by a key word: Look, Actually, or See, after which Chomsky goes into huge depth and detail, never straying from the focus. Again, the editing is what makes it all compelling, useful, and evenly paced. The amount of work that went into tearing apart years of talks, conversations and lectures, and then organizing them in complementary sections, making them fit a format that allows the reader to breeze through (well relatively breeze through) the densely packed insights of Noam Chomsky deserves some sort of award.

The footnotes are the most useful and detailed I have ever seen. They are a monumental standalone work in and of themselves. I only wish THEY were indexed like the book is - after all, there are 449 pages of them, compared to 401 pages in the book.

While Chomsky comes off as extraordinarily insightful, there are weaknesses - holes you could really exploit if you ever had the privilege of arguing with him. His knowledge of financial markets and foreign currency exchange, hedge funds and such is not only superficial, but sometimes just plain wrong. Sometimes he generalizes immense conclusions from a few superficial and specifically chosen facts that ignore the complexity of the situation. This kind of inductive reasoning befits the ranting fundamentalists (of all stripes) he belittles, and is surprising from someone as "fair" as Noam Chomsky. He also completely misunderstands the power of celebrity and familiarity, missing and even denying his own leverage. In other words, he is human after all!

Perhaps then, there is actually less here than meets the eye? I don't think so. I think this book is so well edited, it actually allows the reader to surgically inspect the workings of this fine mind, to put things in frames of reference and perspective, and even to claim the occasional victory over Noam Chomsky in the safety of one's own home and without a half hour rebuttal.

If you're up for the wild ride to places in your own back yard, Undertanding Power is very highly recommended.

This book is written for a broad audience and aimed at exploring one of the oldest and most persistent problems in American history; the proper role of the Federal Government. Simon frames this book as a conflict between Jefferson, representing those who supported a weaker central government and emphasized the importance of individual states, and John Marshall, the great Chief Justice who led the Supreme Court to establish its critical role as arbiter of constitutional questions. The Marshall court's work strengthened the importance not only of the Supreme Court but of the Federal Government in general. This is not a new story, indeed, most of what Simon describes is the standard understanding of this period of our history. Simon is a good writer who describes the politics and legal issues quite well. His description and analysis of the behavior of the Marshall court is shrewd, emphasizing Marshall's careful attention to both politics and crucial legal issues. For example, it is clear that Marshall worked very hard to maintain unanimity among the justices, even for difficult decisions. Similarly, many of his important decisions were crafted to simultaneously achieve the goal of establishing his brand of moderate Federalism while avoiding inflammatory political consequences. Readers will finish this book with an increased appreciation for Marshall's considerable intellect and remarkable political skills. Beyond this, the book is disappointing in terms of explaining the wellsprings of these conflicts and important aspects of the debate. I think the emphasis on the rivalry between Jefferson and Marshall, which Simon probably chose as a framing device, actually tends to limit understanding of the nature of this conflict. While I respect Simon's desire to produce a relatively concise and accessible book, some aspects deserve enlargement. For example, Jefferson found the Court's tendency to rely on Common Law traditions irksome, believing the Court should have been more deferential to the wished of state legislatures. Does this represent a conflict between individuals like Jefferson whose primary intellectual influences came from the British Enlightenment versus a legal culture that grew up in the shadow of the great British Common Law theorists? To what extent did individual experience of the Revolution influence subsequent political positions? Jefferson spent the war as governor of Virginia or abroad. Marshall, in contrast, was an officer in the Continental Army and experienced in very concrete ways the inadequacies of the confederation government that preceded the establishment of our present constitution. This book is a good point of departure for individuals unfamiliar with this period of our history but further reading will be needed for anyone who really wishes to understand our early history. I recommend the The Age of Federalism by Elkins and McKitrick, a superb treatment of the Federalist period, as a starting point.

The world needs a book about John Marshall's contribution to America. In my opinion, "What Kind Of Nation" by James F. Simon is it. Though the nature of the subject almost guarantees that the reading will be somewhat dry, scholarly, and lawyerlike, the author did a nice job with it. As a scholar myself, I recommend it. If you're looking for an easy read on Thomas Jefferson, I also recommend Norman Thomas Remick's excellent book "West Point: Character Leadership Education, A Book Developed From Thomas Jefferson's Readings And Writings", in which West Point is posited as a metaphor for Jefferson's worldview of the way America ought to be.

On a recent vacation to Colonial Williamsburg and Monticello, my 14-year-old nephew commented that Thomas Jefferson didn't get along with Alexander Hamilton. The four adults accompanying him replied patronizingly that Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr certainly didn't get along, but didn't remember anything between Hamilton and Jefferson...

Of course, my nephew was absolutely correct. In an effort to rectify my obvious educational deficiency, I immediately embarked on a reading plan which led me to "What Kind of Nation", where I discovered that Thomas Jefferson also didn't along with John Marshall, the fourth Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court.

By the time I got to this book I had a pretty good feel for the politics of the period, having read "Founding Brothers" by Joseph Ellis, "Founding Father: Rediscovering George Washington" by Richard Brookhiser, "Alexander Hamilton: American" by Richard Brookhiser and "James Madison" by Garry Wills. I believe this background helped me to maximize my enjoyment of "What Kind of Nation" because I was able to focus on Marshall's brilliance and perseverance in establishing the authority of the Supreme Court on an equal footing with the executive and legislative branches of the federal government. Jefferson's antics were amusing, but old news. The way that Marshall dealt with Jefferson who was, after all, the President of the United States during the first 8 years of Marshall's 34 years as Chief Justice, is fascinating.

James Simon does a great job of telling the story without getting overly technical with the legal side of things. I think he strikes just the right balance, so that the lay reader (i.e., non-lawyer) can appreciate the significance of Marshall's extraordinary accomplishments.

John R. Price has written a large number of books, but out of all books he has written, this is the best. This book serves as a wonderful introduction to what it takes to be a SuperBeing. Mr. Price explains the fundamental steps on the road to success, riches and lasting happiness. It is small by its size, so it is easy to carry with you, even in your pocket -- but yet it has a very empowering message that you can contemplate and read as you have a spare moment.

For Advanced Truth seeker who is interested in metaphysics and self-help this book won't offer much new -- but it is a good gift for those who are lost in the wilderness of life and are open for new tools of mind to change things for better.

The best portition of this book is the interview with Jason Andrews -- which clearly explains what can be expected of your life once you master the principles of being a Super Being.

Along this book, you could read Darel Rutherford's Being The Solution which will continue from where this book ends.

Thirteen years ago this was the book that stopped me in my place and change my life forever. I have since read every book written by John Randolph Price and I highley recommend this one as a start.

LIKE MANY READERS WHO SEEK TO IMPROVE THEMSELVES I OWN DOZENS OF THESE SELF HELP, PHILOSOPHICAL, INSPIRATIONAL, NEW AGE BOOKS AND THIS IS ONE OF THE THREE I CONSTANTLY GO BACK TO. I`M ON THE WEB NOW ORDERING ANOTHER COPY. MY ORIGINAL COPY IS SO WORN IT`S FALLING APART. AT FIRST THE NAME OF THIS BOOK KIND OF TURNED ME OFF BUT SOMETHING LED ME TO BUY IT (DIVINE INTERVENTION?). I`LL CUT TO THE CHASE AND SIMPLY SAY THIS BOOK IS FULL OF EYE OPENING, THOUGHT PROVOKING AND INVALUABLE INFORMATION. I CONTINUE TO USE IT DAILY FOR MEDITATION-INSPIRATION. I DON`T SUGGEST MANY BOOKS BUT THIS IS AN ABSOLUTE MUST FOR ANYONE SEEKING THEIR OWN DIVINITY. AS YOU READ EARLIER REVIEWS YOU WILL NOTICE SEVERAL INDIVIDUALS HAVE REMARKED THE BOOK TO BE "BLASPHEMOUS", "TERRIBLE" AND "FALSE". MANY TRADITIONALISTS MAY FIND IT TO BE AND MANY TRADITIONALISTS HAVE SIMPLY ACCEPTED THEIR FAITH WITHOUT QUESTION. HOW UNFORTUNATE. THIS IS A BOOK THAT CHALLENGES YOU TO BE EVERYTHING YOU`VE EVER IMAGINED AND SHOWS YOU HOW. THE DECISION IS UP TO YOU. THE OTHER TWO BOOKS I SUGGEST TO READ ALONG WITH THIS IS, DISCOVER THE POWER WITHIN BY ERIC BUTTERWORTH AND MANIFEST YOUR DESTINY BY DR. WAYNE DYER. TERRIFIC STUFF. NAMASTE

The author well states legal points of debate regarding the "non-trial" of Dr.Kaczynski. Provides interesting insight to the legal system and inparticular Dr. Kaczynski's plight. However, the book could have been reduced to 2-3 chapters if such points/observations were concisely and clearly stated once.

A very encouraging change from the typical stuff that foams up around high profile cases like Kazcynski's. He keeps away from murky psychological speculations about why he did it and describes the legal system, its tradition and the often personal agendas of its actors with a complexity and sense of perspective that we'll never get on television. Unlike Mello, I don't think that the Unabomber will ever get his day in court. That is sort of shocking, for if violent dissenters like Kazcynski absolutely should be tracked down and punished, society needs to understand that their acts are expressive of something besides mere individual insanity. Neither the extorted publication of a manifesto nor the silence of a coerced guilty plea make any real assessment possible. A trial might have, and Mello is very effective in explaining both why it did not take place, and why basic constitutional and ethical principles were compromised in the process. Of course, he has his own axe to grind, but it is a sharp and sturdy one.

I was expecting a somewhat dry recountal of judicial process and courtroom manuevers when I began reading this title, and was completely surprised to find a book which raises a multitude of thought provoking issues. Mello presents Kaczynski's case clearly and intelligently, and provides a strong argument to support his belief that Kaczynski was unfairly manipulated by his attorneys and Judge Burrell. Yet along the way, Mello also tackles significant topics such as the definition of insanity, media misguiding, euthanasia vs. state assisted suicide vs. consensual execution, personal agenda/ethics in the legal field, diaries and the right to privacy, et cetera. Many of these issues are intelligently discussed within the context of very interesting historical cases. Mello's writing style came across to me as somewhat lacking in personality, at first, yet I soon realized that his straightforward voice is most effective in communicating the issues at hand. In choosing a no-nonsense style, the author does well to include numerous quotes and excerpts from disparate notables such as Anne Frank, Camus, Walt Whitman, Nietzsche, Bram Stoker, Rilke, Socrates, et cetera to pepper the reading with a chorus of voices. By concluding the book with victim descriptions from the Government's Sentencing Memorandum, Mello provides a complete and haunting plot twist....rather unsettling. This book offers not only an incredibly fair, edifying and intriguing view of the behind-the-scenes shenanigans of the judicial players, but also solicits the reader into contemplation of important issues. I highly reccommend this book not only to those interested in the specifics of Kaczynski's experience, but to anyone interested in reading an evolved, well thought and thought-provoking book.

As someone who has some programming experience, this book was very helpful to me.
The project I am working on was already defined, and all I had to do was look in the books where an example was given or a syntax reference existed. Note that I used it in alongside O'Reilly Press' 'Writing Excel Macros with VBA'. Where certain areas aren't covered in this book (rare), there will almost ceratinly be something in the other.

As an intermediate level part-time but somewhat rusty programmer (mostly self-taught) of Java, C, Javascript, HTML, CSS, XML, Assembly and others, this book certainly had what I was looking for.
It offers useful language references and the descriptions are ample, although occasionally apparently useful methods that were covered in 'the other' book and were overlooked in this one; it's just not possible to include everything though, even in ~1000 pages.

It assumes some prior knowledge of programming techniques, and is therefore not for the absolute beginner, but will serve it's purpose very well indeed to the majority.

I would recommend this book all except the absolute beginner and the advanced programmer/expert (who probably wouldn't be reading this anyway!). Definatly worth the money.

I rarely buy books on the internet without having a good flick through them at the local bookshop first. In this case I would definatly advise likeminded thinkers to make an exception.

The included CDROM is worth it's weight in gold and is all too often a crucial ommission by authours/publishers. I can now take the book with me on my laptop in PDF format (hooray!) and all of the book examples are included too. BONUS!

I got this book and the author's other on Formulas. Although I am only using Excel 2000, I got it because I would be using Excel 2002 in the future. With no experience in VBA for MS apps, I needed something to get me up and running with writing macros from scratch. Familiar with VB6 I figure I can pick VBA up easily. I had a book on VBA from SAMS teach yourself series some years back, which I found dry and useless. I had thrown it away so I got this book.

I was up and running in about two hours writing macros that would look down a column of data and find the last non-empty cell in a range that had empty cells between data cells. I also wrote macros to update a summary at the top of the worksheet depending on how much data was in a particular row and to advance to the next empty cell in a row after data was entered, assisting the user in entering/selecting data.

Excellent and easy to understand. The real meat doesn't start until Chapter 7 when VBA is introduced. Prior to that is a refresher on formulas and Excel itself. I'm results oriented so I skimmed up to Chapter 7 before looking for answers to my problem. I am only in Chapter 9, before userforms, which is overkill for my needs at work but I will begin tinkering since it'll be done on my own time. Highly recommended for those who need a good solid intro to VBA. If you know VB, it'll be cake walk. For those who don't, there are plenty of examples to help you out and remember to understand the Excel object model. You should be all set if you at least try some of the examples instead of staring at the print.

The only thing I think is missing is a listing of the methods and properties of the Excel object model. For that, I have "Excel 2002 VBA" by Wrox. Funny how I've only used that book for its listing in its appendix, which is several hundred pages long and easily worth the price of that book. But that's another review...

John, if you read these reviews, ide just like to say well done!!
Ive got quite a few books on VBA but this is by far the best.Im by no means an Excel guru, but found myself being asked to automate lots of tasks in excel for a new job I had. Im a VB/Database programmer by trade and I needed a book to bring me upto speed with the Excel Object model. The book done this and taught me a whole lot more in the process. Its well presented and the examples are all "realworld" which I found really handy.
Fully recommended to any Excel/VBA beginner or reference for a guru.

"History will deal severely with Chamberlain--- I know---because I shall write it"Winston Chruchill wrote that history and won the Nobel prize for it; and so set the formula for all succeeding histories. Second only to securing the safety of his nation Mr. Churchill, historian, essayist, biographer, and critic, had to produce his version first. Of the major personalities of that era Churchill was the only one who wrote; who got his version to the world. Irving's biography shows why Churchill had to write.The book is not for the casual reader. The assumption is that the reader has a few WW2 histories, European geography, and British politics well understood. Irving's sole effort is to sift through the fine details of the accepted history and find contradictions, new events, and additional interpretations of the facts. His book is so packed with detail, all contexturally suspended on a web of assumption and conclusion, that without some background you will miss the astonishing story. Irving is not afraid to surmise given some facts and not afraid to stretch to obvious conclusions, he could be dead wrong but at least he's got it out there. Irving has gone deeper into the details and found both more complicated personalities and events, and having found new and startling information he can interpret them the way he pleases. His Biographies are not flattering, on first take, but by adding new and counter-characteristic details, Irving makes Churchill more real, more fallible, and his accomplishments all the more extraordinary. Irving is not shy of adding a black-eye where the documents support it, and he (Irving) has taken a few slaps for doing so; but only because he is emphatic in relating what he has found, and dares his critics to prove the obverse.

Irving is good for us readers of history. You should find the best historical writing at least controversial, if not outrageous. When we all agree on all aspects of every story, history ends, biography ends; Irving becomes the other historian Winston..... Winston Smith.

Winston-o-files are going hate this book but all should read it through. Put it up on your shelf next to Gilbert and Manchester. Another book covering the same period from the other side of the Channel is the ignored masterpiece "The Collapse of the Third Republic" by Shirer.

David Irving is a controversial, albeit very successful writer. His long career and many published historical works have elicited praise from such historians as Hugh Trevor Roper and John Keegan. A good deal of the criticism directed at his scholarly work, it seems, is actually directed at his politics. That's unfortunate, since in fascinating volumes, such as CHURCHILL'S WAR, THE PATH TO WAR, and THE TRAIL OF THE FOX,, Irving does offer portraits, facts, and details of leading figures of the World War period not gleaned from most "standard" histories. CHURCHILL'S WAR (this is volume I) gives us the not-so-idealistic Churchill, the man who was willing to do almost anything to save the British Empire, but in the process actually succeeded in insuring its destruction. As usual, Irving uses a panoply of diaries, private journals, and other original materials. One may disagree with him and his interpretation (certainly the "official" Churchill biographer, Martin Gilbert, would), but you need to READ him first--and you need to put aside his personal politics. His scholarship, debatable yes, can stand on its own.. As a professor of history I find his work very useful and provocative.

Irvings original research and writing style combine to make Churchill's War a most enjoyable and thought-provoking read that I found to be intensely humerous and ironic at times. Irving practically chain-linked the words of Joe Kennedy, FDR, Herbert Hoover, Churchill, and a host of others to build paragraph after paragraph of free flowing, engrossing and controversial text. This was the first of Irving's work that I have read but certainly not my last. After reading some criticisms of this book I question whether the same book is being discussed and/or there is some animosity toward this author that is not related to the quality of his work.

My husband purchased this book about 1 year ago and suggested I try this new approach to building lean muscle mass. At first I was very skeptical because for years I have been doing full range of motion reps with small weight amounts, increasing as I got stronger. I did see results, but it was taking forever. When I moved about 2 years ago from the south to the northeast, it took me a while to get back to working out hard and sticking with it. Last September, I joined a local health club and decided this is the time to get serious and build muscle and get in good shape again. Both of us tried this method and boy, did we see results. I have seen more results in the last 6 months than I did in 1 year!! That's amazing. I have gained more lean muscle mass and did adjust my diet slightly, but nothing drastic. I saw results after just 2 months. More definition in my muscles. This program is not for everyone, but you never know unless you try. The health club I attend is totally against this method of weight training and try to tell me that it doesn't work. To each their own I tell them. Not all weight training programs work for everybody, seeing that we all have different body types and preferences for working out. But if you want to build lean muscle in a shorter period of time, this is the way to go.

Thanks to Sisco and Little for their great insight and writing a book that goes against traditional ways of lifting weights and proving that it does work.

I have been lifting for about seven years and have been taught by the experts. A Gold Metal Powerlifter, a pro body builder, and Football Strength Coaches in highschool and college levels. I have read several books on weight lifting, this book by far is the best. After using PF for 3 months my bench press went from 310lbs. to about 405lbs. It was unbelievable! Strong-range lifting, why didn't anyone tell me about this. The pf and pi are excellent ways for measuring muscle output. Now I know that I am making progress, and I have the numbers to prove it. Someone stated in another review that the book doesn't mention nutrition, it has a whole chapter on nutrition (ch. 11). This book must be read completely before attemping to do any of the exercises mentioned. I honestly say that Power Factor Training is the most effective form of training to achieve Maximum Muscle Growth that I have ever used. I have been using PF for 6 months now and it still is the most effective workout for muscle stimulation that I have ever used. The weights that I use are so monstrous that I have to train once a week in order to make any progress. The more time I take off from lifting the stronger I get. I suggest (as the book does) to first have a base level of strength before attemping to use Power Factor. So forget the whole "Full deep reps to work the whole muscle" stuff, and go get Power Factor Training ASAP! These guys know their stuff.

I was encouraged to add my thoughts on this book because of the enormous range of attitudes on the Power Factor training approach. I did this program about 6 months ago when my progress was at a standstill. The Power Factor approach helped me break through the wall and progress. The book is well written and instructions are very clear. It is a VERY different approach then the conventional approaches. However, it does work if you follow the approach.

Now, let me say I do not believe one should use the Power Factor approach exclusively. It does, however, have tremendous value when used as a change of pace to traditional methods. The idea of lifting much heavier poundage then your used to in a shorter range of motion and in a short period of time does help muscles grow. I wouldn't do this approach 100% of the time, but if you try it for, say, 6 or 8 weeks, I believe most people will benefit from it. One can use traditional, full range, approaches the majority of the time, but integrating Power Factor methods into your routines will have a great benefit.

Those that have dismissed this approach because it's different have lost a valuable lesson in bodybuilding.