He fully understands the relationship between collaborative technology as it relates to project management in a large enterprise environment.

As he so well points out... "the speed which one implements technology relating to process management in order to accomplish large tasks" will differentiate success from failure. This is a "must read" for senior management if they wish to survive in a complex "project management", collaboration /Internet environment. How to utilize technology to accomplish this is the key!!

A great resource for management.

Mr. Shield clearly gets it!!".

He fully understands the relationship between collaborative technology as it relates to project management in a large enterprise environment.

As he so well points out... "the speed which one implements technology relating to process management in order to accomplish large tasks" will differentiate success from failure. This is a "must read" for senior management if they wish to survive in a complex "project management", collaboration /Internet environment. How to utilize technology to accomplish this is the key!!

A great resource for management.

An excellent overview of a very complex and timely subject. I especially liked the ERP/E-Business Matrix and the discussion of regions, companies and assumptions underlying it. I found the discussion of "adaptive" vs. "disruptive" changes helpful and insightful. Very concise and to-the-point, a quick & easy read, but one which should be internalized over a longer period of time. Covered a lot of ground in less than 200 pages. Overall, an excellent addition to my bookshelf.

Would, however, have liked to see a bibliography & some footnotes for the statistics cited

The reader comments on the Amazon site lead me to expect this book to be a serious academic study of "Doctor Who," exploring the themes and stories both as elements of the popular culture and as literary forms. Muir demonstrates an encyclopedic knowledge of science fiction television from "Captain Video" to "Red Dwarf." Sadly, he doesn't appear to have read many books, thus the scholarly critique I had anticipated was not to be found. He is not interested in sociological or psychological deconstruction, nor with any rigorous application of literary theory. You won't find any arcane academic language, references to Derrida or Freud, or other intellectual posturing. But neither will you find it to be a satisfying analysis of the cultural and literary interaction between the show and it's audience.

Instead, Muir mostly concerns himself with "Doctor Who" in relationship to other television shows which aired before, during and after it. Much energy is focused on the question of which show was first to address a topic or use a plot device, and how the same formulas have been recycled repeatedly.

He begins with a cogent analysis of the origins of "Doctor Who," identifying H.G. Wells' The Time Machine (specifically, the 1960 George Pal film with Rod Taylor) and Nigel Kneale's marvelous "Quatermass" stories (produced by BBC TV in late 1950's) as the two templates around which the vast majority of "Doctor Who" stories are built. However, he ignores any literary antecedents that must have had at least as much if not more influence on the original series writers. You will not find the names Jules Verne, Arthur C. Clarke, Ray Bradbury, Robert Heinlein or Madeleine L'Engle in his copious (and excellently thorough) index. For Muir, other than tangential references to the cinema, television is largely a self-contained universe.

Not surprisingly, his analysis is starkly without context. Although he has clearly read enough to understand the historical development of the series in England, he shows no real understanding of the culture which created and interacted with the show.

This lack of context is highlighted by the near complete absence of fan material - a shocking exclusion considering the massive amount of critical commentary produced over 30 by dedicated and intelligent fans, much of it not only well written, but literate and insightful. Indeed, Muir's few nods to a body of critical writing outside his own amounts to a few isolated pages of quotes, presented without comment on the remark or it's author (so if you don't already know who Harlan Ellison is, he's not going to help you). It is not until well past his review of the show's history that he mentions, almost in passing, that "Doctor Who" ceased being a kiddie show by 1975. In fact, it's that very change - how and when "Doctor Who" grew into an adult entertainment - that is the most important element in the show's history, not to say it's impact on popular culture. His failure to grasp this essential point as the appropriate focus of a critical history -preferring instead to draw out lengthy parallels between "Doctor Who" and the many science fiction TV shows of the sixties and seventies - reduces the book to a catalogue of plots and themes rather than a critical history.

Which is not to say that his observations are without merit. In fact, he has insightful and interesting things to say about a wide variety of issues, ranging from racism to jelly baby jokes. His discussion about gender and sexism, especially as it relates to the Doctor's female companions over the years, is extremely intelligent and well written. Unfortunately, the vast majority of the issues he raises are left largely unexplored, as though, merely by having brought them up at all, he has successfully addressed them. His preoccupation with other contemporary science fiction television does him ill service here, as many passages hinge not on the intrinsic merit of a "Doctor Who" story, but on how the same themes are treated in the "Star Trek" universe.

Muir is badly served, ultimately, by the structure he has chosen. The program guide format compels him to reiterate his previous ideas regularly, rarely adding any additional information or development to the original premise. This quickly become tiresome, unless the reader is absolutely fascinated by the number of time the name "Travers" has been used or which actors and directors also appeared on "Blake's 7" and "Space:1999." (The vast majority of this material is, of course, already abundantly available, in more complete and less expensive guides.)

Ultimately it's hard to figure out precisely who the intended audience for this book might be. The title is somewhat of a misnomer, as there is no attempt to survey the existing body of historical or critical writing on the topic. It is, therefore, insufficient as a serious scholarly study... it's a bit pricey for a highly subjective program guide. It offers nothing new in it's treatment of the show's history, and is neither particularly complete (ignoring the contributions of many writers, directors and actors who deserve greater prominence) nor scrupulously accurate (e.g. failing to identify uncredited writers and story origins, referring to the 1920's as "Victorian," misusing the word "empirical"). What it mostly amounts to is a book-length, library bound fanzine with a mild case of delusions of grandeur. The book is not really suitable to the neophyte fan, who would probably find it too expensive, but neither will it satisfy the most demanding aficionado, who will be irritated either by it's format or content.

Still, I would encourage people who fall between those two extremes to read it; if for no other reason than to promote greater discussion of the ideas Muir begins to address. This is not the serious scholarly analysis that "Doctor Who" deserves, but it's an excellent starting point.

Fans of the cult science fiction British film will find A Critical History Of Dr. Who On Television an essential reference which provides critical and historical examinations of the ideas, morals and philosophies contained in the hit television series. This provides anecdotes and fine insights, including series synopsis, guest lists and commentary for each episode, and an overview of critical reception. Essential for avid Dr. Who fans.

If you are an avid Doctor Who collector like I am, you probably have several of the many programme reference guides available to the fans already. Also, like me, you may wonder what makes a new reference work valuable; why should one buy THIS book; what does it offer that others I already own do not already say?

These were the questions I was asking when I discovered the publication of Mr. John Kenneth Muir's library-bound book, A Critical History of Doctor Who on Television. Like many other works, this book catalogues the 159 television serials extensively, and makes mention of the many other formats of the myth (the two 60s movies, the countless novels published both concurrently with and after the series' end, the 1996 television movie, the merchandise, the fan clubs and the internet resources, to name a few). The book also lists technical details of each episode, something exhaustive detail-seeking fans will appreciate.

But the thing that makes this book unique is its tracking of the themes of Doctor Who. We all are aware of at least some such themes in our treasured show : the alien invasions, the oppression and ultimate redemption of the weak, the evil imperialistic corporations, the evil threats from mythological origins, time paradoxes, environmental crises, or the question of interfering with known history. We are probably also aware of many of the show's antecedents, whether it be movies or programs we have only heard the names of (The Quatermass Experiment), or early USA science fiction that lent its own ideas - despite being launched later than Doctor Who (like the original Star Trek or Battlestar Galactica). This book makes a serious effort at tracking the various themes and their impact on not only the show's narrative style and tone, but also on the ultimate morality put forth in each decade, and traces how the show's morality changes with every distinct era.

The book also tracks the underlying thematic underpinnings of the show through the decades. One such example is the tracing of the development of the Time Lords - how they progressed from an almost supernatural and all-powerful force when we first meet (and fear) them in Troughton's era, to their almost self-parody existence through Pertwee's era, through their great demystification in Tom Baker's and Davison's shows, to the statement of their ultimate philosophies in Colin Baker's "The Trial of a Time Lord." It shows how our views of the Doctor's race have changed as we see them go from being almost Gods, to being stagnant, to being a bureaucratic mess, to ultimately being revealed as morally degenerate as many of the races the Doctor has fought in all his years. It links how seeing such things as this "See the Heroes Fall" motif might be a reflection of the times of that particular set of shows. Thematic strands such as this make for interesting reading throughout Muir's book. It also tracks antecedents to story plots from the obvious Frankenstein/Morbius references to not so obvious ones that give serious food for thought.

Something else that fascinates me about Muir's book is the tracking of seeming "offspring" of Doctor Who - where ideas original (or semi-original) to the series seem to have been lifted or borrowed to incorporate into other art forms on other series - Where was this idea explored in the movie Stargate? What exactly ARE the parallels between the Cybermen and the Borg in Star Trek : the Next Generation? Have you ever compared the Axons and the Borg? How is a scene from City of Death almost followed exactly in All Good Things from Star Trek : the Next Generation with "Q" playing the role of the Doctor? Nowhere in the book does Muir suggest that any of these ideas were blatantly "stolen" either for the series, or stolen from it for other series... but the parallels are amazing to behold as he delineates them (not to mention often humorously tongue-in-cheek; did I expect a "fully functional" Data reference when discussing Artificial Intelligence?). It makes for fascinating reading.

Finally, Muir uses the book to show the series in light of serious critical approaches, whether from literary or film-related schools of thought, making this a truly academic sort of study. His insights point out obvious plot flaws, "cop-outs" in resolutions, breaks in narrative flow, where obvious filler was used, and of course, the moments of sheer inventive brilliance that make us love the series so much - where it takes something stale and expected and transcends what we expect to make a unique, almost magical experience for the watcher. Muir injects doses of his own opinion, but backs these opinions up with a solid critical eye. Even though I personally disagree with some of his conclusions (e.g., the narrative value of "Ghost Light" and surrounding serials, the relative innovation of the stories of the Davison era), I can always respect what he has to say, because it is said so well. His discussions have made me rethink and reinvent my views of the Troughton era, and have re-affirmed my beliefs about Colin Baker's era. I have used this book many times already to start discussions with my friends over some of the more controversial aspects of the show's 26-year run, and I think that this has to be a good thing for a show that has not aired new regular episodes for 11 years.

Any venue that can stir debate and get people thinking about Doctor Who again must be essential for its fan base to continue. As Muir says, "It is only by debate and constant reinterpretation that these works of 20th century art will survive into the next millennium and be remembered." If keeping Doctor Who alive was indeed Mr. Muir's goal, I think that he has succeeded greatly. To incorporate SO MUCH information into one book and still have it be so readable and enjoyable is quite a feat indeed. So don't let the higher price tag than usual stop you from owning this book; it is absolutely essential reading for the Doctor Who reader, and you'll be glad it's in hardback when you find yourself going back to it time and time again.

If the authors are right about how they defined 'empowerment' and the three essential keys for achieving true empowerment, then leaders, managers, and employees of all organizations should read, discuss, and decide to apply this easy-to-read book's lessons. I am convinced this book has the potential to lead organizations to unheard of levels of effectiveness and productivity.

In typical Ken Blanchard fashion, the authors taught their important lessons through a logical and believable fictional story based on their years of research and experience. The story "guides readers step-by-step through one manager's struggle to discover the three essential keys to empowerment. By following the manager's odyssey to the Land of Empowerment, readers discover that they can take the same journey, which, like any heroic journey, is filled with paradox, challenge, and fitful stops and starts."

The authors defined empowerment as not giving power to people, but releasing the knowledge, experience, and motivation they already have. They then identified and explained the three essential keys for achieving true empowerment:
1.Share information with everyone
2.Create autonomy through boundaries
3.Replace hierarchical thinking with self-managed teams
These simple definitions are deceptively powerful when teamed with patience and persistence. I found the title of this book was most appropriate.

From my experience, the term 'empowerment' is frequently spoken, largely misunderstood, and rarely applied to its maximum extent. This book took the mystery out of the concept of empowerment and left me with a great appreciation for what true empowerment is and how it can be achieved. I am excited about what it could release in me and others who read it.

The author of The One Minute Manager switches gears and tells you not to manage your employees minute-by-minute. Instead, Ken Blanchard, along with John P. Carlos, and Alan Randolph, advocates and explains the notion of empowerment - giving your employees the information and authority to act and make decisions on their own, within a structured set of organizational goals and values. Presented as the story of a turnaround manager getting tutored by an empowerment mentor, the book establishes the fundamentals of the (now ubiquitous) theory of empowerment in a conversational and enjoyable style. We [...] recommend this quick, informative read, which will expand your management horizons in only a few short minutes.

If you are a new manager or a manager with outdated skills, this novel little book will have an absolutely positive impact if you follow the simple three keys to success. The book is based on a story of a real or contrived (who knows) manager and his adventure in discovering the importance of empowerment and why his technics have failed with his employees. Within the first week of reading this book, I used one of the exercises that was recommended. This simple exercise showed me that my employees are infact on track to becoming empowered. If your employees are struggling to complete everyday work because of a motivational problem instead of an ability problem, this book will show you how to get your team to respond. After you read this book, you may discover that the problem is supervisory and not employee related. However, this read gave me ideas of how to correct both!

Fantastic story, but what happened to the ending??? I hope there is still another book to come in the series.

The last book did leave room open for one more but it did seem like it would be the end. I'm glad McCay is writing more because I am becoming more and more interested in the stargate world. A suspenseful cliffhanger too.

The story is so good that after I read it a year ago I am still waiting for the other shoe to drop. Is more comming?

If your a Kevin Smith fan, and interested in film in general check this book out. Despite many..many type-o's the book is worth a read.

An Askew View: The Films Of Kevin Smith by film and television journalist and expert John Kenneth Muir is an insightful commentary on Kevin Smith's cinematic works that have gone on to achieve a kind of cult-following, including his films: "Clerks," "Chasing Amy," and "Dogma", as well as such efforts as "Mallrats" and the ill-fated "Clerks: the Animated Series" (which was ultimately killed to make room for the then-megahit "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire" game show). Interviews with Kevin Smith and other filmmakers form the backbone of this fascinating companion book that is highly recommended reading for students of filmmaking, as well as the legions of Kevin Smith fans.

This is a really fun book, loaded with new interviews with all the View Askew regulars, including Scott Mosier, Walt Flanagan, Bryan Johnson, Jeff Anderson, Brian O'Halloran, Vincent Pereira Dwight Ewell, Ethan Suplee and others. And their stories are hysterical! More to the point, the book goes behind the scenes to reveal new stories behind the movies - direct from the horses' mouths, including some of the really early ideas behind CLERKS. A highly amusing and funny read. I laughed out loud so many times reading this book that people around me thought I was crazy. I've already let one of my friends borrow it and now I want my copy back...

Kenneth Tynan was a marvellous journalist. There is no-one writing for magazines or newspapers today (perhaps with the exception of Christopher Hitchens) who can so readily draw upon an apparently limitless well of wit, and do so in perfect sentences. All of his books are worth reading if you can find them second-hand: his early collection of drama criticism, 'Curtains', and the collection 'Profiles', are probably the places to start. For devotees of Tynan, who bemoan the paucity of his output in the last fifteen years of his life, the Diaries, splendidly introduced by John Lahr, can prove very frustrating. It seems everything conspired against Ken sitting in front of the typewriter and working his magic. His health was abysmal -- emphysema worsened by a heavy cigarette habit; he was preoccupied by a strange strain of socialism, which allows him to finish one entry with a call for action on the part of the workers and begin the next with an account of a tour through France, eating at three-star Michelin restaurants all the way; and he was rather excessively waylaid by a spanking-based dalliance with a mistress. That he managed to eke out portions of 'The Sound of Two Hands Clapping' and the profiles collected in 'Show People' is, on the evidence of the diaries, something of a miracle.

The diaries themselves make for very entertaining reading. There is plenty of celebrity gossip and, as befits writing not meant for public consumption, a good deal of invective. Sir Peter Hall, referred to throughout as 'P. Hall' is dealt with particularly harshly, and the relationship between Laurence Olivier and Tynan is fraught with ambiguity. There is also Tynan's almost comical political naivete; while there is certainly much that can be said for socialism and sexual liberation, Tynan's blatant hypocrisy (there are several references to his employing servants and nannies) and his very middle-class hatred of anything at all tainted by being middle-class, does not make for a convincing advertisement. I can only imagine how awful his 'spanking film', which he spends several years trying to find backers for, would have been. But these are, believe it or not, minor cavils, and actually add to the enjoyment of looking over Tynan's shoulder as he unburdens himself of his daily thoughts. (He certainly does not let himself off lightly, frequently despairing over his lassitude.) And the concluding entries, shadowed as they are by the reader's (and Tynan's) knowledge of his imminent death, are genuinely moving. I trust and hope there is more Tynan to be reissued soon. He's a fine companion.

I remember Kenneth Tynan from an appearance on The Dick Cavett Show shortley before his 1980 death. Until this book, I was unfamiliar with his work. Now I see what I was missing. Not only was Tynan a highly skilled writer of prose, but as a critic he saw things for what they were, even if the majority disagreed. He gives Warren Beatty's pretentious and mystifyingly overrated film Shampoo the swift kick to the rear that it deserves, and even finds a fault with Paddy Cheyefsky's Network that I had not detected prior to reading his assessment of the film in his diaries. He also has his say on economics ("Inflation rides high and I believe intentionally" he writes in 1973) and a myriad of other subjects including his preoccupation with spanking. Overall, these diaries reveal a melancholy soul who found some solace in writing about his life and its disappointments in his journal. Most published diaries promise more than they deliver. Not Tynan's. His diaries are a compelling read.

To paraphrase another wit: This is some of the best fun you can have with your clothes still on. Was Kenneth Tynan the most sophisticated and intelligent critic of his generation? It's hard to think that he wasn't, especially after reading these diaries. Not only does he give you a grand notion of what theater can be, but he also gives you a guided tour of the international theater scene in the late twentieth century. What a grand tonic his intellectually sharp viper tongue is in these days of spineless critics. Bravo!

I got this book because I love Blake's 7, have for years. I was quite interested in reading a professional opinion on the show.
Muir does an excellent job discussing the history of the show, citing some behind the scene stories of how things came about. He also does an excellent job of focusing on Terry Nation, his ideas of the future, and his take on social issues such as slavery, prejudice, tyranny, and genetics (to name just a few). But, unfortunatly, the analysis begins to fade after the discussion of series 2, and drops more into plot summaries and discussion of guest stars and their characters.

This book seems more devoted to Terry Nation and his stories, and after Nation left the show (after series 2), Muir has very liitle critical discussion left.

Also, the book is lacking in images, having only 9 images (b&w), none of them from the actual series (I am uncertain if he was unable to get the rights to publish photos. If he could not, then this is excusable).

However, having pointed out the books flaws, the first sections is well worth the read.

John Kenneth Muir's text on the British TV series Blake's 7 is an enthusiastically written and well researched one. Given Muir's writing pedigree, which includes similar analyses of programs such as Dr Who, Space 1999 and Battlestar Galactica, plus his examinations of the films of directors such as Wes Craven and John Carpenter, it is evident his knowledge of the sci-fi/horror genres is exhaustive and admirable. As opposed to previously books which offered little or no in depth analysis, Muir's book looks at each episode with a critical eye. This is not new, however: various Internet sites have forums and reviews of episodes in which fans offer their opinions. However it is comforting to be able to read a list of them in the old fashioned form of a book (the Luddite in me!). His analyses are very well written. Thankfully they skim over the plot descriptions (anyone reading this book would know the plots backwards anyhow), and offer many interesting points. I can't say I agree with all of his conclusions, but that is the wonderful thing we call democracy. If everyone agreed on everything, what a boring place it would be! Muir savages some episodes I hold in high regard; however I respect his opinions and uphold his reasoning, as I would anybody's. Apart from the episodes, Muir writes some very interesting essays - the "anti-Star Trek" one is, in my opinion, the best. The examination of the sci-fi story arc and the shorter piece on sexual machinations among the crew also hold the interest. Putting Blake's 7 into a historical context, relating it to sci-fi programs of its day and also more recent programs such as Babylon 5, is also well done, maintaining that Blake's 7 has not had its day and is still relevant in today's deconstructions of the genre. Although this book is excellent, there is one major irritating fault - the book seems to have not been proof read at all, with glaring mistakes. For example, his examination of the season B episode "Weapon" refers to Fen as Coser's companion, when she was Rashel. The cast list to "Traitor" (Season D) credits David Quilter as "The General" and not "The Tracer", while the essay on sex, naturally discussing the controversial gender themed episode "Power", constantly refers to it as "Rescue". There are countless others. This criticism may come across as nitpicking, but for an author of Muir's calibre, especially given his insights and knowledge of the program, along with his other writing efforts, they are unforgivable oversights. They may have been simple typographic errors, but Muir, of all people, should have noticed them before publication. However, this should not detract from the book's excellent writing and interesting observations. For a fan of Blake's 7, it is very worthwhile and engaging, able to be read and re-read.

Having read other excellent titles by John Kenneth Muir on the series Space:1999 and Doctor Who, I was thrilled to discover he had the courage to take on Blake's 7 as well. Blake always seemed to me to be an odd hybrid of Saturday morning action adventure and dystopian fairy tale. Its dark vision of an oppressive empire, ironically named the 'Federation', contrasted with the cheap sets, the expressive acting of Jacqueline Pearce, and the poorly choreographed fight scenes. Still, Blake's 7 has always been a guilty pleasure, and a joy to watch. Muir takes us on a comprehensive journey through the series history. The book offers details such as back stage gossip, struggles with the budget, explains the frequent cast changes, and includes a detailed analysis of each episode. Muir's writing style is both engaging and amusing. I loved this book, despite the simple cover art. It's a must for any Blake's 7 fan, and well worth the cover price.

Collins provides the reader with a wonderfully concise and through biography of John Wesley. Though Collins places significantly less attention on some of the prominent emphases of Wesley's theology, mainly the perfecting of holiness in the believer, and choosing instead to shift attention to Wesley's lesser (and more ambiguous) emphasis on being a "real Christian" in substitute, the author still maintains a historically intact overview of Wesley's theological journey. The reader should certainly approach this book as a biography as opposed to an exaustive treatment of Wesleyan theology. A rewarding read, I found Collins' style both engaging and informative.

I read with great interest this biography, hoping to get an overview of a famous man I knew little about. Kenneth Collins has worked hard to present not just the man with all his flaws and brilliance, but also his thinking and the impact it had on our world. In addition to triumphantly succeeding in these goals, Mr. Collins is an excellent writer and keeps the reader's interest. Days later I am still thinking over some of the points he made and evaluating my own life in light of John Wesley's. I highly recommend this book.

This is a beautifully written biography of John Wesley. This text presents an accurate history of Methodism's founder, with an emphasis on his life-long striving to be and remain what Wesley himself describes as a "real Christian," as opposed to an "almost" or "nominal" one. It is quite clear Collins brings a passion for Wesley himself and for his theology. His use of language is remarkable. The style and presentation he offers in this biography are both rhetorically satisfying and aesthetically pleasing. Do not be fooled by the size of this well-crafted work - it is only 160 pages - for it contains all the significant people, places and movements of Wesley's life, and is composed and presented in a fashion which is sure to attract a wide reading.

The physics is fine but this is an autobiography. What kind of a man is Wheeler? I got the impression he spent as much time avoiding offending anybody important as he did on physics. He sounds like an amiable sycophant.

Having noticed over the years that Prof. John Archibald Wheeler's name turns up in an amazing variety of physics-related articles and anecdotes, I was particularly primed to read his autobiography. The book doesn't follow a simple from-birth chronology, but rather begins with Wheeler teaching at Princeton and volunteering to meet the ship carrying his mentor, Niels Bohr, at a New York City dock in January of 1939. From that pivotal moment at the brink of World War II, Wheeler fills out his story by reaching back to childhood and forward to his long career in teaching, research, and national service. We learn of his brother Joe, whose body lay in a foxhole on an Italian hillside until it was reduced to bones. Wheeler reminds us that if the Manhattan Project had geared up one year earlier, the lives of his brother and many others might have been spared.

Wheeler's remarkable character pervades the book and helps make it unique and interesting. In a profession legendary for strong intellects and egos, he has achieved and maintained a pomposity coefficient of zero. His judgments of other people are unfailingly generous, but also astute enough to be interesting and revealing. He provides candid firsthand impressions of legendary figures such as Bohr, Einstein, Oppenheimer, Teller, Ulam, Heisenberg, Fermi, Szilard and Feynman . We also learn about many less well-known colleagues, friends and students whom he finds memorable for various reasons. In contrast to the eminent-scientist stereotype, Wheeler has always enjoyed teaching undergraduates and is genuinely interested in the problems and aspirations of the young people entrusted to his care.

Like the brilliant George Gamow, Wheeler has a talent for explaining difficult concepts and illustrating them with whimsically inventive diagrams. The book's autobiographical threads are interwoven with a rich tapestry of subtle but plainly-spoken physical insights on dozens of topics, some arcane enough to leave even the author slightly bemused. I believe anyone interested in physics will find a personal revelation or two among Wheeler's lucid, informal scientific explanations. There are touches of Gamowesque humor too, such as his theory that the fates somehow conspired to entangle him with a string of Hungarian emigres.

The title concepts of the book -- Geons, Black Holes and Quantum Foam -- were all named by Wheeler himself. He began his career at the minute scale of particle physics, moved on to the grand sweep of relativistic cosmology, and finally circled back to the hyperminuteness of quantum foam. Of course there is nothing really disjointed about such a journey, since connections among the nested scales of nature constitute one of the grand unifying themes of physics.

During his tenure at Princeton university, John Archibald Wheeler has served as the mentor to such outstanding physicists as Richard P. Feynman, Kip Thorne and Hugh Everett. He was also great friends with such individuals as Albert Einstein & Niels Bohr. In short, his contributions to physics have been indispensable.

This present work of his traces his life, a life that is (as the cover says) one of science. However, one of the nice facets of this book is that it goes beyond just the laboratory & reveals the personal life of this great man. We learn of the moving death of his brother in WWII, his worries and concerns over nuclear war (as well as the grapples with his conscience that he endured over the invention of the hydrogen bomb) and many other aspects of his life. He also tells stories of some of his most memorable students; not all of these were necessarily his most gifted pupils. Above all, Wheeler reveals a genuine human passion that has characterized his approach to science over the greater part of this century. One of the best biographies of a scientist I have ever read.

Being a huge noir detective fiction fan I found it a little difficult to muddle through this installment in the Amos Walker series. The plot starts out in typical fashion and then goes on to become Walker out for revenge, sort of like Walking Tall or something along those lines. The ending went back to a typical hard-boiled style of ending with the detective confronting the person behind the mayhem which was nice. Unfortunately this one just didnt do it for me. Estleman is definitly an accomplished author and all the other reviewers of this novel are right on target with most of their reviews but the revenge angle just didnt work for me.

It's an overworked phrase to be sure but Loren Estleman really is 'the legitimate heir to Raymond Chandler'. And even that's an injustice because Estleman is no mere imitator. His voice is his own - tough, poignant, as gritty as the streets he writes about, and with a killer ear for dialogue.

The Amos Walker series has matured over sixteen novels from it's breezier, almost pulpish beginnings to one of the finest detective series in print. The sheer skill of his writing and his deftness of phrasing makes you gasp in wonder. I find myself constantly re-reading sentences just to savor them.

Other reviewers have gone into the plot of Sinister Heights in some detail so I won't bother repeating it. The real magic here is the writing. This may not be the best Walker novel (Never Street and Sugartown are possibly better) but then I can't think of a bad one either.

While other good PI writers have seen their glory days Estleman goes from strength to stregth with each new book. For those that still wish there were more Philip Marlowe novels, who've given up on Spenser and his clones or who just like the best in PI fiction available, don't go past Estleman and Walker.

And, as other reviewers have noted, his western novels bout Marshall Page Murdock are well worth picking up too. They're really PI novels of the old west. Or his Sherlock Holmes pastiches. Hell, anything the man writes.

Have I made my point? Don't miss Estleman. He's the real deal.

After fifteen episodes, Loren Estleman's tough private investigator Amos Walker is still a very unpredictable and interesting character. He has the mind of a scholar, the fists of a prizefighter, the wit of a comedian, and the heart of a Saint. You never know just what he might do but you're sure that it will be the right thing.

Sinister Heights takes us to the world of billionaires who built their fortunes on the backs of American labor. Leland Stutch, the last remaining pioneer of Detroit's auto industry and over a century old, just died leaving his vast fortune in the hands of his very young widow.

Rayellen Stutch has hired Walker to trace the illegitimate offspring of her late husband so that she can settle any claims against the estate before they become a legal issue. It should be a simple assignment, handled in a day or two and then forgotten.

But things get complicated in a hurry when Walker discovers that Stutch's illegitimate daughter now has a son of her own and is on the run from an abusive husband. The closer the detective gets to heirs, the more dangerous his mission becomes.

It is soon obvious to Walker that someone would rather kill him than let him discover the truth. A high speed encounter on an Interstate Highway results in the death of an old friend of Walkers and the abduction of Leland Stutch's young grandson. Circumstances force Walker to make a bold and unique move to rescue the young boy and uncover the identity of the killer.

I won't reveal any more of the plot but I highly recommend this novel. It's characters are lifelike, the dialog clever and fresh, and the story is told with Estleman's magic use of the language. It seems like the terms, Noir and Hard-Boiled were created to describe a story like this.