I purchased this book to keep on my desk now that we are moving to Windows Server 2003. Awesome - not just as a reference, but as an initial read. My advice, this book is a one time read, a lifetime reference - or until Windows Server 2006 comes out. Stanek Rocks.

Compact. To the point. Covers the information a network administrator needs on a day to day basis. Also, accurate.

Is it a peer to Manasi's tomes? No. This is the book you throw in your briefcase and refer to on a day to day basis for those pesky commands and processes you forget.

My advise is simple, if it says Stanek and Windows, I buy it.

All I needed to get myself up to speed with Windows Server 2003. The book focuses on key aspects of day to day use and administration. Others have said and I will too, Stanek is the leading authority on the Microsoft Windows operating system, especially when it comes to administration.

Whenever I need a book on any technology topic I check to see if he's written a book on it first. I've been reading his books for many years and they've never steered me wrong. In "Windows Server 2003 Administrator's Pocket Consultant" Stanek documents the essentials for administrators and covers all the new features. It is focused on what matters and because the author is an administrator he knows what really matters. The book does everything it promises.

As with the others before this one it is the only day to day book I use. The book isnt designed to be a study guide for certification but I believe it would be helpful for that too. I've used the other consultants for that and its been helpful.

I would rate this as the definitive text on Windows Server 2003. It's got what you need to get the job done. Anthony

Every administrator, developer or user working with XML should buy this book or at least browse through its pages to see what a book on XML should be like. I can't tell you how many bad XML books I went through to get to this one book that I find truly useful. Now, not only is the book useful, it is also the only book that I've found (and I've bought 11 XML books) that is as accurate as it is good. One key reason could be that the author went through the trouble of refering to the XML specifications during the writing and ensuring coverage of the final versions of these specifications. In many other books I have, the authors claim to have used the specifications but you can clearly tell that they either did and didn't understand the spec (which I can't point fault at as the specs are gibberish to me) or they meant to and just never bothered to follow through. Either way, those types of authors should never have written a book on XML.

The XML Pocket book covers:

XML

XML DTDs
XML Schema
XML Namespaces
XML Links
XSL/XSLT
XPath

And as in Stanek's other Pocket Consultant's the book manages to do in 400 pages what no other books I've seen can: it provides comprehensive, clearly detailed, useful information. Someone should speak to Stanek's publisher. They could have sold this as two books. One covering XML, DTDs and XML Schemas and another covering namespaces, XSL/XSLT, XLink and XPath. These two books at 200 pages would still have more information than the other bloated books on the market and could have been priced the same as the current volume for 2x the money--I would have paid it. Heck, I paid nearly 2x the current cover price for O'Reilly's poorly done book on XSLT.

In closing, I think you should buy the pocket consultant because it's a no nonsense, clear, detailed, easy to use resource. I'm very happy with my book.

This book will give you a good foundation to build on as it does an excellent job in tackling the basics of XML and its related technologies. This is by far one of the best XML books I have read because it is straight to the point and it also provides step by step procedures for each topic. This is really all you need.

In all the time I've worked with XML I haven't found a book this useful. The book is the most up to date I've found. The detailed coverage of XML, XSLT, XPath and more is extremely thorough. The step-by-step instructions are truely helpful. I would have to agree that this book alone is better than any book that covers XML or XSLT separately. Now that I've started using this book I rarely look at the other XML books on my desk. In fact I've put most of them away. Thank you Mr. Stanek for writing a book those of us who really want to learn and use XML!

I'm a huge huge fan of Ruin Mist. I love Ruin Mist Heroes, Legends & Beyond. It is great! Thank you Robert Stanek for creating a wonderful world o adventure.

Ruin Mist Chronicles are some of the finest books written. Ruin Mist Chronicles mainly centers on a great journey and the coming together of divided peoples with great evil, wars and dark minions as strong additions. Stanek does not just create a plot and loads of characters in the books, he creates a whole new world. This makes his stories amazing! It's the Star Wars of fantasy fiction. Every detail that Stanek writes draws you deeper into this world. Ruin Mist Chronicles are the best books I've ever read and it beats the rest of the fantasy books. You may need some help keeping track of everything that's going on or you may want to learn more. That's where this book comes in. It is a completely awesome look at Ruin Mist, the world.

This is so real life. As someone who has taught immigrant and refugee adults as well as their children, I can attest that I have seen time and again where the children are the translators for the family. The nice thing about the book, too, is that the ending is very proactive. The mother ends up going to an adult school and learning English. Anyone who teaches second language speakers will certainly have kids who can really relate to this book.

I'm not going to give anything away for those people haven't read this book before but somthing terrible happens and all the characters lives are forever changed, mostly Katy's. I am really emotional and all and for like the last 50 or so pages i was crying off and on. It was sooo wonderful in the beginning and the end, sooo sad and terrible. I hate to say it but i hope she has made a sequel. And to all those people are thinking about reading this book, you should, but if you are emotional like me i'm warning you not to read it in public.

The Kingdoms and the Elves is the best series of books I've ever read! Robert is the best writer, he also has the best characters ever. I would love to meet him! I can't wait until the 5th book comes out! I love everything in the books!

The Kingdoms and the Elves is enjoyed by children and adult. Ask some of your teachers to read The Kingdoms and the Elves books in the classroom the answer will most likely be yes. I love these books and you will too! Just give them a try. I think The Kingdoms and the Elves books are the best I have ever read.

As the skeptic's skeptic, I don't believe in a perfect 10 -- I gave this book a 9. Still, there is something massively appealing about Stanek's style and thorough approach. Even in chapters Stanek didn't write, there is a strong sense of teamwork and cohesion -- for this I commend the contributors as well. Having purchased the original edition, I was surprised to see that this new edition had so much new material. In fact, the two books compliment each other rather well and I still use the old edition and the new. Some areas that make this book a great choice are:

Stylesheets - nearly 40 pages covering CSS 1, extremely thorough

HTML 3.2 - about 180 pages covering all the latest extensions to HTML, Netscape, Explorer

Frames - the best coverage of frames I've seen, even includes ready to use templates

Graphic design - 150 pages covering just about everything you need to know to create great graphics.

Tables - the most complete discussion on the official table specs I've seen

Multimedia - great chapters on Shockwave, Real Audio, and Live Video

ActiveX & VBScript - I couldn't believe Stanek squeezed in just about all of there is to know in less than a 100 pages. Well thought out to be sure.

VRML - covers VRML 2, Java scripting and VRMLScript. I've seen VRML books that didn't cover scripting VR worlds.

Web design - Emphasis on design throughout, literally thousands of design tips. Good follow through in the final chapters.

Saying this book isn't good is like saying the sky isn't blue or grass isn't green. Stanek is someone who has worked in Internet and Web development for over ten years. His way cool sites are all over the WWW. In addition to his books, I see his work in magazines all the time. Like the current issue of PC magazine where he writes about energizing your web pages. He's got the competition on the run with this one. I've retired my old Teach Yourself HTML and now rely only on Web Publishing Professional. This is the most complete Web publishing reference I hav ever found. I checked dozens of books before finding this gem but none of those books could answer all my questions about Web publishing beyond ordinary HTML. I was pleasanty surprised to find that this book answered all my questions. The tips and advice found throughout are tops and I recomend this book heartily. Covers HTML, VRML, CGI, JavaScript, VBScript, Java, ActiveX, graphics, GIF animation, multimedia, shockwave

As an editor I know a great book when I see one. Simply put you won't find a better Web book that is easier to read. A decade of professional writing experience clearly shows in Stanek's work and if it didn't, his books wouldn't be the top-sellers that they are. Stanek has a long professional career writing books and magazines. I've read his work in PC Magazine, Dr. Dobbs and many other well-respected computer magazines.

When it comes to meeting the needs of Web publishers, I haven't found a book that offers more than Web Publishing Unleashed Prof. Ref. The book weighs in at a heft 1500 pages, making it the largest Web book I have ever seen. Webster's Dictionary is large too, but I wouldn't exactly call it a great book, useful certainly but not great. So what makes Web Publishing Unleashed Prof. Ref stand out from the crowd? The answer is the author's clear and authoritative style.

Incredible. These have got to be some of the best fiction novels on the planet and have really helped inspire me. I've read each Kingdoms book nearly straight through the first time and the only reasons I stopped were for little things like sleeping, eating and school. I've also read them all at least five times. They're that good.

The books follow the story of Vilmos, a twelve year old boy, Adrina, a girl coming of age, Seth and Galan, the mysterious elves, and their friends. Vilmos, a boy who's spent his whole life living a lie. Until one day he finds out that his dark power can't be gotten rid of. He's a wizard, and not just any wizard, the first human mage in a thousand years. Adrina, a girl who longs for change from her dull and boring life. Until one day the change comes and it isn't at all that she hoped for.

The characters, writing, and story in these books in superb and the entire series will leave you shocked, surprised, and eager for more. If you haven't yet read The Kingdoms this is a great time to start.

My kids are the ones who got me reading these books. I went in not expecting much and got about 1000 times more than I expected in my wildest dream. Why? It's a fun read, a very, very fun read. Other reviewers have been right on saying it has a lot of action, intrigue and mystery.

WHAT DID I LIKE MOST? The characters are great! If you let them the people in this book will become your new best friends. I loved Vilmos! He's got a lot of spunk. Adrina, Emel and Seth are other strong characters.

HOW IS THE PLOT? I enjoyed the book's plot twists. Don't let the straightforward, easy to read prose fool you. There's a lot going on in this story.

IS IT TOLKIEN? I would liken the experience to Tolkien's The Hobbit more than Lord of the Rings. Its an epic quest with 3 bands of heroes who eventually come together to battle a great evil. As a first in a series, it's a strong start, and a good start on what may be a wonderful fantasy series for readers of all ages.

IS IT THE STAR WARS OF FANTASY? My kids call it this, their friends do to. It has to do with the amount of action scenes and the good pacing. The book has plenty of battles and action for the patient reader. I like the fact that there are separate adult and children's versions. My sons have rarely finished books but they finished The Kingdoms & The Elves of the Reaches books 1 and 2 in a few days.

DO I RECOMMEND THIS? Yes, very much so. But everyone has different tastes. If you don't like it someone else you know surely will. I also find it wonderful that this book is from a small press. The little guy gets squashed too often by big corporate publishers, so it is great to see the little guy get a leg up. Great to see a BIG book from a small press.

I am a HUGE Robert Stanek fan. I love the magical world he creates in the Ruin Mist Chronicles. This book takes the first half of Keeper Martin's Tale and makes it a bit easier for younger readers. As the father of two young readers, I couldn't wait to introduce them to these books. Both are already fans!

The Kingdoms and the Elves is for readers 9-12. The books have print that is easy on the eyes and the approach is much easier to read and tote around. These split versions of the books are great because your kids are much more likely to finish and then want the next book and the next and so on. Mine certainly did. They started with The Kingdoms and the Elves book 1, went on to book 2, then The Elf Queen and the King book 1, then The Elf Queen and the King book 2.

Now my kids are waiting for The Kingdoms and the Elves book 3 due out in August. The funny thing is that I am too. According to the description, book 3 picks up where Keeper Martin's Tale left off, meaning it should be the first part of the 2nd Keeper Martin book. Heck, I'm there. You don't have to tell me any more. Beats waiting!

I'm really glad Robert took the time to make adult and children's versions of his books. I actually preferred the children's version of Elf Queen's Quest (The Elf Queen and the King books I and II) to the adult version. The children's version has a completely different organization, which makes it flow more logically (IMHO). Whatever version you choose, regardless, you're going to have fun. Fun reading it what it's all about. Enjoy! Happy, happy, happy reading.

Stanek's Ruin Mist is a wonderful, wonderful place, populated with its own creatures, history, and breathtaking landscapes. The book is a tale of Robert's creation in which we meet heroes Seth, Xith and Keeper Martin. We learn about elves, gnomes, shape-changing beasts, watchers, and wizards. The characters don't gravitate to extremes that can be seen as "good" or "evil" yet there is a struggle going on between the forces of light and darkness. We see shades of darkness, get insight into character's intentions and thoughts but like life there doesn't appear to be true "good" or true "evil". Robert very subtly points to the reality that dark forces at work. We read of Sathar who has survived the dark journey and war banners being raised in the elven Kingdoms yet we don't see this firsthand. This is something on the horizon, like the dark "change" that is coming to the human Kingdoms. I loved this book! I think you will too. The best writers know how to make their work seem effortless and Stanek is definiltey in this category. The clear voice makes the story all the better.

"Elf Queen's Quest" is the second book in Robert Stanek's wonderful "Ruin Mist Chronicles" series. As I started reading this, I wasn't sure I would like this but this is stunning. All of the magic of the first book, "Keeper Martin's Tale", is here, but the tone is darker, deeper and stronger. Robert has a unique approach in that he provides alternate views of the stories through what he calls "paths".

Robert frequently changes viewpoints in the story. It lets the reader see things from different viewpoints, resulting in a better understanding of everything. The story follows several main threads and we get to see what happens before and after the characters stories come together. Robert's writing style is very natural and free of the standard fantasy cliches. I remember no editing errors and no slow spots and as this is a fairly good-sized book that says a lot.

Robert starts with a large cast of main or possible-main characters, and the weave of the story helps the reader see the huge culminating confrontations on the horizon. I liked this story a lot. I think this represents a strong start to a great fantasy series.

Well it's about time! If you miss the great tales and heroes and magic first perfected by Tolkien with Lord of the Rings, and are looking for a fun read well look no further. Robert Stanek has opened up fantasy once more with the Ruin Mist series.

How good is it? Well, the only other 5 star ratings I have given to other fantasy authors have been to J.R.R. Tolkien (Lord of the Rings) and Robert Jordan (The Wheel Of Time). Yes, it's that good. Maybe even Better. The plot has plenty of twists and turns throughout. It is on the surface about a boy who gets magic, a girl who sees the world, and elves who return from exile.

What makes these books stand out above the rest, however, is the rich characterizaton, the great history, the fantastic story, with plots woven into plots. The characters are beleiveable, and the reader will truly sympathize wit the heroes. A sure signs of a good book for me is when I start to feel genuine fear and sorrow when things don't go right for the main characters, and that doesn't happen often, but it sure did here. Not only are the heroes so excellent, but there's always a sense of urgency and suspense throughout the book. Another standout for this book is the unique perspective on the nature of magic, elf magic in particuarl, which is also a must in a fantasy novel.

I can't really go into more detail without spoilers, but belive me, it will get you to think. To finish up, this book get my highest stamp of appproval. If you want a good, fun read and have a soft spot for fantasy read the book. You won't be disapointed.