An excellent first hand narrative with lively and descriptive writing by one of the first pioneers to help settle the untamed Northwest. Alexander Ross joined Astor's Pacific Fur Company expedition in 1810 and this is his story of the day to day struggles which he and the other men had to overcome. He left New York on the soon to be ill-fated, doomed ship the Tonquin, with a pompous and overbearing Captain Thorn. They sailed around the tip of South America, then to Hawaii and finally to the mouth of the Columbia River, all the while prevailing over many hardships during this voyage. Upon landing and without delay, the men began to construct the trading post Astoria. Ross' detailed descriptions of their adventures amidst the forces of Mother Nature, Indian relations, the Northwest Fur Company, geography, etc. makes this book a real page turner. They all had many obstacles to overcome, and as I said, his writing skills are exemplary. He devotes the last few chapters to the culture and customs of one of the local Indian tribes. The man was a keen and acute observer of all his surroundings and this is an energetic effort on his part to put it in writing.

This book uses lots of graphics which makes it easy and fun to tackle such an important subject. Learning about the history of the industry is also another positive aspects of the book. At the end of the book you find yourself familiar with lots of materials which is quite useful to get into advanced phase of learning about networks.

I borrowed this book from a friend and decided it's so clear and essential, I had to buy my own copy. I agree that it's for a total beginner (like me), so I teamed it with a $40 book called Understanding the Network: A Practical Guide to Internetworking (Networking) by Michael J. Martin. Now I have both the overview and as much depth as I can handle.

For those seeking to expand their basic knowledge of networks, I was impressed with the graphics, illustrations, and technical descriptions. For what "holes" you may have in understanding network basics, this is a good one to gain an overview. Other Que books published have also been winners: "How PC's Work" and "How the Internet Works".

I'm sorry but I only read the REAL diary. If it's written by somebody else, then it's not really Anne Frank's diary, now is it? DON'T GET THIS ONE! GET THE REAL ONE! BY ANNE FRANK

This book has a wonderful setting, but it bores you out. The book is interesting in the first twenty pages but then it gets so boring, it is a chore. I have even talked to friends about it and they say it is boring too. I do not recomend this book unless you like boring stories.

This is an excellent source to use as a teacher for 8th grade students. It gives quizzes, tests and several activities. Cross-curricular activities are also included.