It's hard to get too excited over a dictionary, but I needed something for my summer job doing e-commerce related work in the states. I've used it twice and both times it had the word I was looking for. I suppose I'm giving it 5 stars because it was only twenty bucks whereas other dictionarys were over fifty. Tech books are overpriced, so it's nice to see something useful at this price.

The book provides an excellent point of reference for anyone involved in logistics or E-Business. I must note that I got a sneak peak at the book before it went to publication.
Although, I personally do not deal with logistics on a regular basis, I often have to interview people who are in the business. The dictionary provides access to these professionals' very particular language and as E-Business spreads throughout the world, it would be a good idea to own a copy of the book.
Nevalainen also slips some humor into a few of the definitions -- check out "cracker" -- which makes the read more interesting and some words more memorable.

I think the author intentionally spent extra time on some of the keywords in e-business that are often overlooked or misrepresented (e.g. commoditizing products, disintermediation). The ANSI X12 and EDIFACT appendix is invaluable. There are also several pages dedicated solely to supply chain, e-procurement, and EDI. Recommend it highly.

This is the one Smalltalk book that I carry with my laptop. If there's a Smalltalk feature that I haven't dealt with in some time then I'll take a peek at it here before I do anything else. It's great for Smalltalkers who are just about to ascend the steep portion of the language's learning curve - this book will drag you right up to the top!

This book very readable and informative if you are working with the VisualWorks SmallTalk interpreter. Most books on Smalltalk are quite useless. Maybe because there are various SmallTalk interpreters with their own basic class structures. I'm still looking for a book like this but twice the size, so that it includes comprehensive GUI analysis, garbage collection, IO handling, etc. However, for what this book sets out to do, it does it very well.

This book is fun to read and to learn from. It teaches so many advanced Smalltalk programming techniques. Those that make the difference between an expert and a beginner. It is a quantum jump for the reader. Wisdom and pleasure in doing it better awaits you here. Unique, motivating appreciation for the beauty of this language.

Laughter is what I heard from the bellies of friends to whom I have given this book as a gift. Each page seems to tickle the personality of an event that each person experienced and lived through. People automatically identify with an issue that is presented in a humorous way. Mr. Kalla should be commended for bringing tears of joy rather than tears of sorrow.

This book offers a rare comedic outlook regarding chemotherapy. If you know someone going through this treatment I highly recommend this book. It will lift their spirits while going through a very uncomfortable situation. The author and artist did a wonderful job creating this book. They made it interactive and the best part allows the readers an opportunity to add to the list from their personal experiences.

I have read other books by George MacDonald, some of which were translted by Micheal Philips, and this one is by far the best, though they are all great! Micheal Philips translates George MacDonald best out of the translaters that I have come across. George is the best author I've ever came across.

This book is the exact same book (same editor, even same forward) as 'The Maiden's Bequest'.

This novel is quite different than the rest of George MacDonald's adult novels. It has more laughs by far, though the story as a whole tends tward the melodramatic. It is George MacDonald's most complex work, intricately weaving together the stories of the two main characters: Annie Anderson (approx. 10 years old) and Alec Forbes (approx. 13 years old) as they meet and grow up to young adulthood. Annie looses her father and is forced to move in with her miserly cousin Robert the Bruce, one of the town's shop keepers. Alec eventually goes off to the big city to medical school and is forced to decide whether he will face life's disappointments or dissapate his life away with alchohol.

The first half of this book is too sentimental and bucolic for my tastes and seems geared more tward an adolescent audience. However, the action in the second half more than makes up for it. I would caution the reader that this book has much more Scots dialect in it than some of George MacDonald's other popular works like "David Elginbrod" and "Donald Grant" and you would probably do better to tackle one of these first, so that you don't get too discouraged.

This book stresses character development and has little or no sermonizing. Much of the first half of this book is taken up with the experiences of the two main characters in the town's one room school house and the overly strict disipline meeted out by the school master. His favorite method of disipline is the tawse (a small leather wip flung down from the shoulder) and indeed in one instance he almost beats young Alec to death. The apex of the novel is a tremendous flood, and you will find your eyes filling with tears as your favorite characters struggle for their lives. And you will be satisfied when your least favorite character gets his just deserts.

Considered by many MacDonald's best novel, Alec Forbes of Howglen contains a diversity of characters, personalities, and locales, yet maintains an unstrained and unforced continuity in that there appears no attempt to contrive or incorporate that which is ill-suited or unbelievable. The plot and various subplots flow, commingle, diversify, and rejoin with no break in the natural stream of the story line. Whereas in many novels of such diverse and complex characterization, the reader is forced to backtrack or rethink that which has gone before, there are no such obstacles placed in the road of those who journey alongside Annie and Alec.

This is an absolutely wonderful tale of the lives of two children, Annie and Alec, as they grow into adulthood. Although from two distinct social classes, which occurrence provides ample and diverse challenges for our beloved hero and heroine, Alec and Annie find, after considerable difficulty, trials innumerable, soul-rending afflictions, natural disasters, and, in general, some rather horrific catastrophes, a slender, yet all-powerful, thread which binds them together.

Upon the death of her parents, Annie, who has known nothing but the idyllic life of the small farm, awakens to find everything that she has known and loved gone; her sole childhood companion and dear friend, Brownie-the family cow, as well as the remainder of the livestock, farm implements, furniture, and accessories sold, and she, poor little soul, on the way to live with her father's miserly, mean, hypocritical cousin, Robert Bruce, and his family of ill-bred mongrels, above their shop in town. She and a very small trunk, which contains her meager belongings, are unceremoniously stowed in an attic room which contains no curtains, no lights, holes in the floor, and is shared by rats.

Grieved by the loss of her parents and her home would seem misery enough for one small child, but she is further tormented throughout the day by the Bruce children, and throughout the night by her fear of the rats. School is no sanctuary, for it is ruled by a petty tyrant who holds the firm, unequivocal belief that "to spare the rod is to spoil the child," and he cannot abide a spoiled or disobedient child.

Alec, although far from wealthy, lives with his mother in a modest, but quite comfortable home near the edge of town. It is here that Annie eventually is driven to seek refuge from the countless horrors that stalk her days and nights. It is here, through the eyes of a mother, that Annie sees love sparkle and shimmer as it gently caresses, nurtures, and develops the soul of young Alec.

Follow Annie and Alec, as well as all who cross their paths and touch their lives, in this compelling narrative of real life. For life is not without its trials and tribulations, sorrows and sadness, pains and afflictions, yet it is by and through all such as these,-the manner, means, and motives by which we face and overcome all such obstacles-, that we grow into the men and women that God would have us to be. As a muscle will atrophy if it never meets resistance, so then will a soul wither and die unless forced to encounter the oppressive weights of affliction, self-sacrifice, and self-denial.

We, not unlike water, ever seek the path of least resistance. In this book, MacDonald adeptly illustrates that the best laid plans of men may not provide that which is best for men. God will pursue His plan regardless of our idle hopes, dreams, and speculations. As a result, we often find life, at best, difficult and trying, while, at worst, it may appear all but unbearable. There is, of course, a simple means by which we may "make the way smooth," and that is by doing as Jesus did-the will of His Father.

Draws from Alan Lakein's book on managing time, but contains some very good practical methods to help you identify where you waste your time and how to keep on track doing your top priorities. Also contains some simple and effective advice for dealing with interruptions as well. Well worth reading.

I'm not quite sure how I found out about this book but I'm
grateful I did. Anyway, I read the reviews of the book on
Amazon.com and they were amazing. Everyone said it was
hands down the best book on Time Management, an all time
classic.

In the past I've read several books on time management,
listened to audiotape programs and bought different
organizers so that I'd organize myself better. This book
covers all of that but it also details how to actually
**motivate** us to manage our time better.

This book originally came out in 1972 and is updated for
the information age in 1997. The information it contains is
what he teaches in his seminars and is very detailed. You
get the equivalent of a weeklong seminar by simply reading
and acting on the ideas in the book.

The other day I got this glossy sales letter and
advertisement from Tony Robbins in the mail. It was for
his, Time of Your Life Program. He was asking $[$$] for his
program and it didn't even include the organizer that goes
with his time management system. Then I looked at my $...
Time Trap book and realized I had the same or better value
in this program. Everything Tony promised was in this book.

The Time Trap, is written by someone who had been teaching
time management for the last 30 years. Tony Robbins is a
great personal development teacher but I feel I'd rather
learn time management from the leading expert in the field.
From someone who has focused on that alone.

While reading the opening chapters, I was glad to find out
that I was already doing the most important element time
management -- I actually had a written plan for the
workday. Alec says that having a written plan is one of the
most important elements of time management. My productivity
has gone way up since I started doing that on a regular
basis.

In chapter four Alec shows you how to do a time log. I
thought it was interesting and felt I'd move on with my
reading before I did anything. However, for some reason the
next morning I decided to do the Time Log.

The Time Log is simply a way to keep track of what you are
doing. You don't have to work on your time management. You
just write down everything you are doing. Surprisingly it
didn't take that long to do the log.

If you answer the phone, you have to write it down. If
someone interrupts you, you have to write it down. If you
are daydreaming, you have to log it as well. There is no
judgment here because I was the only person who was going
to see this time log.

The other aspect of the log is you had to write down your
major goals for the day and rank them in order of priority.
Then you had to put a priority label on each activity that
you logged, on a scale of 1-4. With 1 being important and urgent, and 4 being something that was a complete waste of
time.

Then I just wrote down the time, what I was doing, its
priority, and when I was finished with that activity. I
used a kind of shorthand technique with symbols to make the
data entry quicker.

Something very interesting happened. For the first time in
my life I felt, I was in a race to get things done. I
wanted to get them done faster than the time I had allotted
for myself. I worked quickly and efficiently. I wasn't
letting interruptions get to me.

Never in my life did I have such a productive workday with
so many varied tasks and projects. I got many things done.
I felt great about myself.

I wish I had better news about the following days. They
were not as efficient. I even tried the time log on two
other occasions. However, I never completed it. When I was
wasting time, I didn't want to write it down. But I'm sure
I'll improve it the next time. That is the whole point of
the time log anyway. To show you where you need to improve.

Just doing these time logs taught me several things that
will help me save time in the future. One thing I learned
from this book was to avoid interruptions. I thought I was
good at that because I let my voicemail take all my calls
and I only called back when I was ready to call.

I encountered another interruption, however - email. I get
email constantly throughout the day and I'm very eager to
look at it as it comes in. I never realized it, but email
was constantly interrupting me and often it would lead me
to do things that weren't my highest priorities.

The bottom line is that by using the Time Log, I got at
least two major benefits - it gets me to work faster
whenever I use it, and I discovered my areas of weakness.
Now, at least, I know the things that need improvement.

This review in no way does justice to the book, The Time
Trap. There are so many useful tips there. Even if you only
read a few chapters, you are bound to improve your time
management skills.

Better time management means earning more money. If you
are more productive, you are more valuable to your company,
or to your own business or practice. I'm sure if I stick
with the book, I'll improve my efficiency by at least 35%.
Along with that, my self-esteem will rise as well as I
begin to feel increasingly competent. I don't know about
you but I feel better about myself the more disciplined I
am towards achieving my goals. In addition, I'll be
reaching many more of those goals if I use my time better.

I rate, The Time Trap, by Alec Mackenzie a 5 out of 5
stars. Even if you love what you do, you may find that you
aren't using your time as wisely as you could. So go do
yourself a favor and try to improve your time management by
1% each month. By the end of the year, you will have made
great progress.

Author Alec MacKenzie has updated the mother of all time-management books, which fist hit the shelves in 1972. Despite the fact that time management has become a multi-million-dollar industry since this title was originally published, The Time Trap still stands as one of the most effective guides to getting it together. Why? Because MacKenzie tells you flat out what the problem is: You. He doesn't offer sympathy, create excuses or complain about how modern technology has put us on a treadmill. Instead he tells you, in plain English, how to record how you spend your time, how to identify time-wasting activities, and how to change your behavior to make yourself more productive and efficient. Nowhere will you find a self-help book with more practical techniques or less BS. Small-business owners and time-pressed executives are the perfect audience for this book, but we [...] recommend it to any stressed-out professional or student.

As previously said, this is a very well and beautifully writen errr... memoir. The cover tells you the whole story of what to expect inside. At first glance Alec dancing appears as a comical figure almost, but as you look closer you can see he is in some sort of agony. And as the book moves on, it is hard for him to not show his melancholy.
Despite being a bit of a emotional downer, this is still a very worthwhile read for any of his fans.

The late Sir Alec Guinness was a lovely writer, and with this, his final memoir, he improved vastly over his previous gift to us, MY NAME ESCAPES ME. Whereas the latter was strictly a selection from his diary, with this Guinness moves beautifully from journalistic descriptions of day-to-day events (from eye surgery to walks with his wife, Merula, to the indignities of moving slowly in an ever fast-paced and impolite world) and wry reflections on current events to anecdotes spanning his entire career in theatre and film. Each chapter is arranged by a theme, mostly seasonal, but they meander charmingly.

Those interested in his encounter with the church and his beginnings as an artist should find his autobiography, BLESSINGS IN DISGUISE. Those who might want reflections on STAR WARS will be disappointed. When one gentleman asked Guinness for an autograph from Ben Kenobi immediately after mass, Guinness admonished him, "Not in front of the parishioners!" and disappeared as nimbly as a young Jedi.

Alec Guinness is undeniably one of the most gifted actors of our times, and now, with his offering of "A Positively Final Appearance," we get to know something of the man behind the mask. This journal, kept between the summer of '96, and 1998, is chock full of insightful musings, reminiscences and anecdotes that are a delight. He shares his love of the theater, discussing many of the plays he attended during this period, and gives comments on recent movies, as well. An avid reader, he talks enthusiastically of favorite authors and books; his love of literature is unmistakable. The stage is his first love, however, and he speaks fondly, and frankly, of many of the plays he's done, and of his experiences with many of the actors and directors with whom he has had the privilege of working. He invites you into his private life, discussing the love of his life, Merula, and discoursing on their life at home, as well as their many travels. You learn what the greatest regret of his life is, who some of the people are he admires most, and a few of whom he could do without. He explains his negative attitude toward the "Star Wars" phenomenon, and addresses many of the events, large and small, that have in some way affected his life, and helped mold his perspectives. His concern over world events and the human condition is poignantly evident. Guinness writes so fluently, you can almost hear that distinct, familiar voice; you seem to be listening, rather than reading. There is a dignity and charm to his words that reveal, to some degree, the man behind them. That he values his privacy is apparent, and it becomes very clear that he is not the most accessible person, yet without any rancor; he holds his fans in high esteem, but there is a sincere humility to the man, who simply doesn't feel worthy of all the fuss. In a world seemingly rife with crass sensationalism and indifference, "A Positively Final Appearance" is like a tonic to the soul; it is so refreshing to discover that somewhere elegance and refinement still exist. My positively, final word on this book is that it is a joy, and should not be missed.

I haven't hear the audio version of Sir Alec's diary: don't need to since I can hear his voice in my head as I read. Gracious to a fault about his fellow actors, prickly about fans who invade his privacy (whether spying him at a museum or appearing in the back garden), exasperated at the Star Wars fame, he is a truly eccentric Englishman and proud of it. I love it when he admits he probably went on and on while telling a story; a common fault of the loquacious and the aging. Pokes fun at himself and endears himself all the more. Delightful.

Packed movie houses, SRO theaters, an Oscar award, countless honors, and a knighthood have taken the measure of the actor. Now, with My Name Escapes Me, a highly entertaining diary kept over a two year period, we are allowed to take the measure of the man. In life, as in acting, Sir Alec Guinness is impressive.

Jottings on matters both mundane and monumental reveal that at the age of 82 Sir Alec is generous and thoughtful, delighting in "giving" lunch or dinner, "splendid roast beef and Yorkshire pudding" to friends, or buying a "quantity of tulips, mimosa, hyacinths and bright anemones" to freshen the living room which is being used as a "bedsit" following his wife's surgery.

He is also irascible. A March, 1996 notation: "Oh, dear! I hate myself today. At Mass this morning I replied abruptly when a woman sat down beside me and asked, knowingly, if I was who she thought I was. I fear I spoiled Palm Sunday for both of us."

As charmingly self-effacing as he was in his 1986 autobiography, Blessings In Disguise, Sir Alec extravagantly praises fellow actors, while giving scant notice to his own distinguished career. Admirers who remember him for "The Bridge on the River Kwai," "Star Wars" or as George Smiley in the TV adaptation of John Le Carre's novels, glimpse in this lively memoir the private man who rejoices in "the fortieth anniversary of my 'reconciliation' with the Holy, Roman, Catholic and Apostolic Church." We meet the inveterate observer who takes keen interest in world events, as well as his own yard, where he ponders the implausibility of blackbirds remaining airborne when only ten inches from the ground. Somehow, it is encouraging to learn that he also plays the lottery.

Well honed powers of observation and a wry wit enliven this all too brief memoir. He tolerates the vicissitudes of growing old with bemused understanding. Plagued by failing eyesight, Sir Alec writes, "Today I found myself making enticing cooing sounds to what I took to be a rather pale pigeon on the lawn outside my study. It turned out to be a knuckle-bone left by one of the dogs." Yet he determines not to fret about his frailty when another's vision is so poor that the man misses his wine glass by a good two inches.

The loss of many colleagues and friends causes him to observe, "My small world threatens to be underpopulated." Yet, there are gallery openings to attend, museums to visit, trips, friends, and celebrations of the day-to-day. Sir Alec's life, shared with his wife of 60 years, is satisfyingly full. How fortunate we are to share a small portion of that life in My Name Escapes Me.

We thank him for the pleasure of his company, both on stage and off.

sir alec must have been a kind and gentle man. i found in this book that he was charming and witty and deliberately effacing. it takes us on a journey to his many memories of movies,tv,politics, and a great cast of characters that he's met over the years. it's a quiet and calm book. a very relaxing and entertaining read. and what a since of humor!

Those who are looking for an answer to the age old question, 'Why should we be moral?' will be, in a sense, disappointed by this book. Smith from the get-go, shifts the question. Instead he asks, 'Why ARE we moral?' Subtle difference? It's bigger than you may think.

Smith takes our moral nature as a given. Humans are born with an innate capacity for sympathy. We identify others as like ourselves and unless otherwise provoked, do not want to hurt others. We also have an innate desire for esteem. We learn early that treating others kindly gains us admiration in the same way that we naturally admire kind people. This is the core of Smiths thesis and from here he puts examines these principles across an array of human behaviors. Why do we tell truths when we could tell undetected lies? Why would we do kindly to others even if esteem of peers is not gauranteed? Why would some die for their family members or their country?

Probably the trait Smith admires most is prudence; the art of knowing what is and is not appropriate action both in our subjective judgement and that of an imagined 'impartial spectator.' The prudent person is able and willing to put herself in the context of other people. 'Although an action seems justified to me, would others see it that way?' 'Would satisfying small desire X of mine be an obstacle to other's fulfillment of larger desires?'

It goes on from there. Smith puts these ideas well to the test going through scenario after scenario. Because of this, I would say this book should be shelved in psychology, not philosophy as it simply tries to give an account of the way we think. Thus the philosopher looking for a forcefully stated, internally consistent and completely reasoned 'moral system' will not find it in these pages. Smith takes us only so far but when asked 'Why do we have these inclinations to be moral and gain esteem,' he simply answers that it is in our nature. This may be the best answer we can hope for, but it will leave some philosophers unsatisfied.

Regarding the length, IT IS TOO LONG!! With a good editor, 200 pages could've easily been cut. I would even say that the last section, examining flaws in existing moral systems is not necessary and can be skipped. Aside from length, it is a joyful read, though. Smith is an excellent writer and certainly better than Hume, Locke and others of the day. As a conclusion, those looking to bridge the chasm in the 'Wealth of Nations' between Smiths simultaneous advocation of free trade and his disdain for unchecked greed in all it's forms...look no further than "Theory of Moral Sentiments."

To truly understand Adam Smith's economic masterpiece "The Wealth of Nations", one must understand its moral foundation. Without Smith's essential prequel, "The Theory of Moral Sentiments", the more famous "Wealth of Nations" can easily be misunderstood, twisted, or dismissed. Smith rightly lays the premise of his economics in a seedbed of moral philosophy -- the rights and wrongs, the whys and why-nots of human conduct. Smith's capitalism is far from a callous, insensitive, greed-motivated, love-of-profits-at-any-cost approach to the marketplace, when seen in the context of his "Moral Sentiments." [Note: This book is a "page for page reproduction" of a two volume edition published in 1817, which is reflected in my pagination references.]

Smith's first section deals with the "Propriety of Action". The very first chapter of the book is entitled "Of Sympathy". This is very telling of Smith's view of life, and his approach to how men should conduct their lives. "How selfish soever man may be supposed, there are evidently some principles in his nature, which interest him in the fortune of others, and render their happiness necessary to him, though he derives nothing from it, except the pleasure of seeing it." (p 1:1). Later Smith asserts that this "sympathy, however, cannot, in any sense, be regarded as a selfish principle." (p 2:178)

This propriety of conduct undergirds all social, political and economic activities, private and public. When Smith observes that "hatred and anger are the greatest poisons to the happiness of a good mind" (p 1:44) he is speaking not only of interpersonal relationships but of its moral extensions in the community and world. Smith treats the passions of men with clinical precision, identifying a gamut of passions like selfishness, ambition and the distinction of ranks, vanity, intimidation, drawing examples from history and various schools of philosophy. He extols such quiet virtues as politeness, modesty and plainness, probity and prudence, generosity and frankness -- certainly not the qualities of the sterotypical cartoon of a capitalist robber-baron. Indeed Smith is contemptuous of the double standards employed by cults of celebrity: "The great mob of mankind are the admirers and worshippers...of wealth and greatness" paying lip-service to wisdom and virtue, yet Smith oserves, "there is scarce any man who does not respect more the rich and the great, than the poor and the humble. With most men the presumption and vanity of the former are much more admired, than the real and solid merit of the latter. It is scarce agreeable to good morals or even good language...that mere wealth and greatness, abstracted from merit and virtue, deserve our respect." (p 1:79) Tragically, the wealthy celebrity foists a dangerous pattern upon the public, "even their vices and follies are fashionable;and the greater part of men are proud to imitate and resemble them in the very qualities which dishonour and degrade them." (pp 1:81-82) For Smith, wealth is not the criteria of real success. He laments the political-correctness of his day: "Vain men often give themselves airs...which in their hearts they do not approve of, and of which, perhaps, they are not really guilty. They desire to be praised for what they themselves do not think praiseworthy, and are ashamed of unfashionable virtues....There are hypocrites of wealth and greatness, as well as of religion and virtue; and a vain man is as apt to pretend to be what he is not, in the one way, as a cunning man is in the other." (p 1:82) Smith, the moralist also warns that taken too far such trendy fashions of political-correctness can wreck havoc on society: "In many governments the candidates for the highest stations are above the law; and, if they can attain the object of their ambition, they have no fear of being called to account for the means by which they acquired it. They often endeavor, therefore, not only by fraud and falsehood, the ordinary and vulgar arts of intrigue and cabal; but sometimes by the perpetration of the most enormous crimes...to supplant and destroy those who oppose or stand in the way of their [supposed] greatness." (p 1:83)

With such salient observations Smith embarks in a survey of vices to avoid and passions to govern. He describes virtues to cultivate in order to master one's self as well as the power of wealth. These include courage, duty, benevolence, propriety, prudence and self-love [or as we would say, self-respect]. He develops a powerful doctrine of "moral duty" based upon "the rules of justice", "the rules of chastity", and "the rules of veracity" that decries cowardice, treachery, and falsity. The would-be-Capitalist or pretended-Capitalist who violates any of the rules of moral duty in the accumulation of wealth and power in or out of the marketplace is a misanthrope who may dangerously abuse the wealth and position he acquires. Smith describes a moral base rooted in sympathy not selfishness as the basis for an economic system which has been labeled Capitalism. The real Capitalist operates without purposely harming other men, beasts or nature; in this sense capitalism is more a stewardship than an insensitive, mechanistic mercantilism or a crass commercialism. This book is a vital component to any reading of "The Wealth of Nations". "The Theory of Moral Sentiments" is the life-blood or soul of "The Wealth of Nations". Without "Moral Sentiments" one is left with an empty, even soulless, economic theory that can be construed as greedy and grasping no matter how much wealth may be acquired.

In contrast to extreme rationalists and proponents of the selfish gene theory, Adam Smith argues that the beginnings of morality are innate, in the sense that our connection to other human beings makes us sensitive to their needs and sentiments. Morality is thus learned through experience of feeling (sentiments) that connect us to others (thus the title: theory of moral sentiments).

This is an outstanding book, full of magnificent observations about human life and values. Smith provides the theoretical underpinnings for the workings of a capitalist system by rejecting the idea that selfishness and self-interest are synonymous. For Smith's ideal to exist, humans would have to pay attention to the development of moral conscience. It is a startling conclusion, and allows us to comprehend more fully Smith's other great work, The Wealth of Nations. If the Amazon.com rankings allowed a ten, this would be a ten!

It is the third of a series. The first book, "When Gravity Fails," is out of print but can be found used. I recommend reading the books in sequence although they can be read seperately if there is no alternative.

In this sequel to When Gravity Fails and A Fire in the Sun finds Marid Audran and his patron Friedlander Bey, framed for murder and sentenced to exile in Rub al-Khali in the Arabian Desert. As in real life, the Rub al-Khali ("The Empty Quarter") is a vast, uninhabited sand sea, from which no one emerges alive. The bulk of the book takes place there, as they are rescued by a tribe of Bedouin and undergo deep self-examination. The change of setting makes for a nice difference from the previous two books, and there's a bit more character development as well. As is to be expected, the duo make it back to Cairo to unmask the person who set them up and exact vengeance (rather like Stevenson's Kidnapped). Things work out a little too easily for them upon their return, but on the whole, it's another solid entry in the series.

No science fiction writer has been more apt in conjuring up Chandler's ghost than George Alec Effinger. It's a shame this excellent novel is now out of print. I certainly hope his publisher will reprint it soon. Effinger excels in offering a believable Middle Eastern future cloaked in yet another first rate thriller. His Arab characters are among the most credible and sympathetic I've read; one might say he's become a Graham Greene of a future Middle East. Effinger has a distinguished reputation as a writer of science fiction; his extensive work deserves to be read by a wide audience.